Tourism Industry Presses Parties on Manifesto Commitments Ahead of Holyrood Vote
Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector will put political parties under pressure on jobs, investment, and economic growth in the run-up to the Scottish Parliament election at the Scottish Tourism Alliance Signature Conference 2026, which takes place at Edinburgh’s EICC on 9th and 10th March.
A pre-election political hustings on Tuesday, 10th March, will form the centrepiece of the conference, bringing senior political representatives from five parties together to respond publicly to the industry’s priorities and articulate how their policies will support one of Scotland’s most important economic drivers.
The event will be chaired by Brian Taylor, political journalist and commentator, who will open the session with an overview of the 2026 Holyrood election and party commitments before moderating the discussion.
Confirmed panellists taking part in the hustings are:
Kate Forbes MSP, Scottish National Party
Daniel Johnson MSP, Scottish Labour
Murdo Fraser MSP, Scottish Conservatives
Willie Rennie MSP, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Graham Simpson MSP, Reform UK.
The industry hustings follows the launch of the STA’s industry manifesto in October, which calls for urgent action from the next Scottish Parliament on the business environment facing the tourism and hospitality sector, including reform of business rates, investment in long-term workforce and skills planning, improved transport and digital connectivity and a stable policy framework that supports investment and growth across all of Scotland’s regions.
March’s session will be one of the first opportunities in the election run-up for parties to be questioned directly on how they intend to respond to those asks and translate manifesto commitments into practical delivery for one of Scotland’s largest employment sectors.
Industry leaders and the wider business community have warned that decisions taken by the next Scottish Parliament, including around taxation, labour supply and investment, will have a lasting impact on whether the sector can compete in an increasingly global visitor economy.
Marc Crothall MBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said: “Anyone who works in Scottish tourism knows the last few years have been extremely tough. Businesses are juggling rising costs, unpredictable demand and constant pressure to do more with less, and many had hoped things would have stabilised by now. Instead, confidence remains lower than ever and expectations for the year ahead are bleak.”
“Our own research shows most operators expect trading conditions to worsen, not improve, with day-to-day operating costs their biggest concern. Nearly half are delaying or cancelling investment, and around 15 per cent are preparing for redundancies.”
“Tourism relies on continual investment and renewal. When that stalls, quality slips and Scotland’s competitiveness as a destination is put at risk. We are competing internationally with countries that have more progressive policy and taxation environments, which actively support investment and growth. If Scotland continues to lag on these fundamentals, it becomes harder to attract investment, harder to innovate, and harder to compete on a global stage.”
“As we head into an election campaign, now is the time for the parties to put business, jobs and the economy at the top of the agenda. What businesses need most is a clear signal that government understands what is at stake and is prepared to address the pressures facing a sector that underpins jobs, communities and local economies across Scotland.”
The hustings feature within the wider STA Signature Conference programme, the flagship event of Scottish Tourism Month, which takes place each March. The two-day conference will bring together economists, destination leaders, global travel platforms, operators, policymakers and thought leaders to explore the financial, operational and strategic realities facing Scotland’s tourism sector, with themes from business resilience, insurance and cyber security, to destination marketing, leadership, innovation and the future visitor economy.
Sessions will examine economic outlooks and traveller trends, the expectations of tomorrow’s visitor, and what it takes to realise the vision of Scotland’s national tourism strategy, Outlook 2030, ‘To be the world leader in 21st century tourism’.