A NEW guide aimed at boosting land-based tourism in Scotland has been launched.
From farm shops to wedding venues or forest bathing to event spaces, the options for starting a new land-based tourism business are endless, it is claimed.
Now the opportunities for diversification have this week been boosted by a £442,000 Scottish Government programme to drive the economic growth of the agritourism sector.
It comes after a recent study by VisitScotland found the retail value of agritourism has increased by almost £50 million in the past year.
However, for many farmers, crofters or landowners in Scotland looking to diversify, the problem is where to start, what options they have and what skills or qualifications are needed.
To address these issues, Kerry Hammond of SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), has created a land-based tourism toolkit outlining different types of businesses, recommended skills and relevant course providers.
Funded by the University Innovation Fund, it is divided into six sections which can be downloaded for free from SRUC’s website.
Ms Hammond said: “I speak to hundreds of landowners in rural areas who are considering some form of land-based tourism diversification, but it’s not always clear to entrepreneurs and prospective businesses where to start, what options they have and what skills or qualifications they might need - or want.
“We recognised there was a need for a simple and straightforward guide, laying out potential land-based tourism options, and the skills, providers and resources available to these rural entrepreneurs.
“Scotland is an incredibly beautiful country, with many hidden gems, and the land-based rural tourism sector has so much capacity to offer world-class memorable experiences at every turn.”
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