LONDON is opening up faster than Scotland – so is it time to invest there, a Scottish tourism business asked this week’s Go Radio Business Show with Hunter & Haughey.

Frank Willoughby, owner of Glasgow Downtown CityMaps & Guides, called into the show and said: “When we were in London a couple of weeks ago, I noticed how the city has completely opened up. Unfortunately, up here, we’re not doing the same, especially with incoming tourists, both leisure and visitor.”

During Covid, the company had completely pivoted from a print and distribution business to a digital platform, creating digital guides every month in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Loch Lomond.

“We use QR coding now to allow people to scan and get the guides directly onto their phones,” Mr Willoughby explained. “They can then find a way around the city with all the different stops they want to do while they’re in town.”

Mr Willoughby was now looking to move into other cities, including London, and asked: “Would it be better to partner with people down there, maybe even consider a franchise? Because the investment to do it ourselves is quite high.”

Scottish businessman Lord Willie Haughey replied: “I still don’t think we’re back to 100% normal. So I wouldn’t be a rush at the moment to invest.

“Until we definitely get back to some semblance of normal, my advice would be to think twice about any capital expenditure, unless you were really definite that volumes would increase accordingly and that your return on investment was there.”