§ Mr. Hendersonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to seek to spread around Scotland the potential tourist benefit deriving from the 1986 Commonwealth Games; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe XIII Commonwealth Games will make a major contribution to Scotland's economy in 1986 and the Scottish Tourist Board estimates that almost £50 million will be directly injected into the economy. Spin-off benefits for the tourism industry are expected to last for a much longer period.
Some of the competitions associated with the Games will be held out with Edinburgh and many visitors will be accommodated outside Edinburgh during the Games, and these factors alone will help to spread the benefits. The Scottish Tourist Board, as the Government' s main vehicle for the promotion of tourism in Scotland, is moreover prepared to support any operator intending to promote holiday packages designed to disperse Games' visitors throughout Scotland. The onus, however, is on individual operators and local area tourist boards to ensure that the attractions of their particular are a or facilities are suitably publicised in the Edinburgh area both in the run up to, and during, the Games. The attractions of Scotland, including the Games, to visitors already feature in the Scottish Tourist Board's domestic and overseas promotion literature.