The next item of business is a debate on motion S1M-2941, in the name of Mike Watson, on tourism, and two amendments to that motion.

This is a matter of great interest and many members want to take part in the debate. I would therefore appreciate it if the opening speeches could be shorter than the allotted time.

It is important that we have this opportunity to debate tourism, which is one of Scotland's most important industries. That fact seems to be one of our best-kept secrets—it is certainly not divulged by many of our political commentators. However, it should be, because tourism accounts for about 8 per cent of Scottish gross domestic product, supports nearly 200,000 jobs and contributes an amazing £4 billion to the Scottish economy. By way of comparison, as a percentage of employment, while tourism contributes 8.7 per cent, the financial services sector contributes 4.4 per cent and the electronics industry contributes 1.9 per cent. The contributions of both the financial services sector and the electronics industry receive much more press coverage, however.

It is no secret that we are at the end of a difficult financial year for the industry. Tourism was hit hard in 2001, first by foot-and-mouth disease and then as a consequence of the dreadful events of 11 September in the United States. We do not yet have final figures—they are not available—but our best estimate is that the tourism spend in Scotland in 2001 will be shown to be around £500 million less than in 2000.

It will take the industry some time to recover fully from the effects of those unexpected setbacks, but there are grounds for optimism. The World Tourism Organization expects consumer confidence to return during this year. It has said:

"Renewed growth is expected, rooted in the economic improvement predicted by most international forecasting organisations for the second half of the year at the latest."

It is also encouraging that the British Airports Authority has reported that passenger numbers at Britain's airports in February showed their first monthly increase since September and that the main Scottish airports all recorded rises compared to February 2001.

We can also learn from the World Tourism Organization's view that external events can have a severe impact on tourism. They can redistribute it geographically and affect its timing, but they cannot bring it to a halt. The challenge for Scotland's tourism industry is to ensure that it benefits from any of that redistribution in tourism and travel patterns.

As is widely known, we published "A New Strategy for Scottish Tourism" in February 2000. Two years on, I can say confidently that that strategy is already working. The main results are: better marketing by VisitScotland and the area tourist boards; improvements in the use of information and communications technology throughout the industry; readily available advice to businesses about improving the quality of their product; and developing the skills of those who work in the industry and consider it a career choice. I am concerned that, up to now, tourism has not been considered a career choice to any significant extent. I want school careers officers to offer tourism as a real career choice.

All strategies need to be reviewed to ensure that they remain relevant and to take account of new developments. As you would expect, that is exactly what we have done. Just over two weeks ago, on 11 March, Elaine Murray and I launched the "Tourism Framework for Action 2002:2005". Although I have said this on many occasions, it appears that it is necessary to emphasise that that document is not a new strategy; it simply develops the existing one. However, it contains new actions.

I welcome the fact that the minister has produced a framework to implement the strategy, but I draw his attention to the problem that was highlighted in the Edinburgh Evening News today. There is a danger that we will lose our sentries at Edinburgh castle, which is in my constituency and which is one of our most popular tourist attractions. I have already been in touch with Adam Ingram MP at his Westminster offices. I ask the minister to liaise with his Westminster colleagues to get a sensible solution to avoid losing one of the most popular attractions at the castle.

The first I knew of that was in the lunchtime editions of today's Evening News . It is a matter of some concern. Such matters are for the army to decide, but there is clearly a tourism impact. I understand that Historic Scotland is meeting representatives of the army this afternoon. I am hopeful that some resolution can be achieved. It is not yet clear whether the withdrawal of the sentries, which I agree are a great tourist attraction, is for this year only—there has been some mention of additional duties falling on the army because of the Queen's jubilee—or for a longer period, which I hope is not the case. I am sure that it will be resolved through discussion.

As I stated, the framework for action has been maligned by political opponents as being just another glossy document. I have no doubt that Mr Davidson will have something to say about that in due course. However, I draw members' attention to the fact that the front cover has the word "ACT" written on it. Perhaps it is almost subliminal, but it is there. The framework is an action document; it is not just a consultation or discussion document.

Alasdair Morgan may think that that is funny. It is not; it is a serious issue. The document is about actions to take forward the next stage of the tourism strategy. When we started the review, we were told by the industry's representative bodies—the tourist boards and the tourism forum—that the industry needed a greater involvement in decisions about its future. Businesses could and should take more action to improve the product that they offer and to market it more effectively. I welcome that approach. It is what forms the basis of the framework document, which involves actions by businesses supported where necessary by actions in the public sector.

What action is the minister intending to take to acknowledge the gateway status not only of Edinburgh, but of Glasgow? About 85 per cent of overseas visitors come into Scotland via those two cities. The amount of money given to them by VisitScotland, however, falls woefully short of what is required, to the extent that Edinburgh and Glasgow are subsidising the rest of Scotland—by more than £200,000 in the case of the Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board. Thirty per cent of inquiries received by the board—in terms both of the number of people inquiring and the number of inquiries—are about visiting other parts of Scotland.

As Margaret Smith says, Glasgow and Edinburgh are the gateways. It is important that, when people come to Scotland, they go to more than just one place and do more than just one thing. We should encourage them to spread their visit as much as we can. Naturally, the airports of the two cities will be the most popular points of access.

While acknowledging what Margaret Smith says, I would point out that Glasgow and Edinburgh get a particularly large number of visitors, and that fact should be weighed in the balance when considering the benefit to those cities and to other parts of Scotland. That is what I and VisitScotland are doing and will continue to do with regard to the resources that are available.

I will return to the "Tourism Framework for Action". As many members will have observed, it lists three priorities. The first is to increase the awareness of Scotland as a tourist destination and to improve access to and within Scotland; the second is to ensure that businesses provide what their customers want; the third is to ensure that the importance of tourism to the Scottish economy is recognised. The framework also takes account of developing across the Executive the policies that have a direct link to tourism, notably transport, enterprise and agriculture.

The document lists 55 actions. It is not appropriate to mention them all now, but I want to refer to some that relate to other matters for which I have ministerial responsibility: culture, sport, major events and the built heritage.

The public sector agencies, including the national institutions, are committed to working with each other and with the private sector to identify key products and to assess the opportunities that they offer. They will learn from international best practice and will share that knowledge. The national institutions, including Historic Scotland and sportscotland, will work closely with VisitScotland so that that product development and marketing are aligned, and so that we avoid duplication of effort wherever possible.

It is important to get such linkages right, and I am determined that we do that. I have given a commitment that the public and private sectors will both be involved in the steering group that I am to chair, to ensure that the "Framework for Action" document is implemented over the next three years.

In the context of what he has just said about the role of the various public agencies, could the minister outline the role of Scottish Development International, which is a joint venture between the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise? SDI now has a worldwide network of offices, notably in the United States. Will it too be given a role in promoting Scottish tourism?

All those who are involved, whether they be in the public sector or in the private sector, will be encouraged to contribute to the review that I am setting up with area tourist boards and to contribute generally to selling Scotland in whatever way possible. The answer is that no doors will be closed, and nobody will be excluded.

The public agencies have been asked to make a commitment in their operating plans to the necessary actions that I outlined in the framework, and I will shortly be making an announcement about the launch of a joint-venture project. The proportion of tourism businesses using e-commerce, at only about 13 per cent, is far too low. The project, which will involve all the area tourist boards with the exception of Glasgow, will lead to a significant increase in that figure while benefiting both businesses and their customers.

Will the minister take an intervention?

No. The minister is in his last minute.

I have already taken a number of interventions. I would give way if I had time, but I am up against the clock.

One of the best examples of tourism and culture coming together for the benefit of both can be found in the national tartan day celebrations in New York. I am very pleased to welcome Dr Ogilvie to the gallery today—we enjoyed his contribution at time for reflection. I know that he was influential in establishing tartan day in 1998. The event has grown and will continue to do so.

It is important that we take every opportunity to remind people in the United States of America that Scotland is a tremendous holiday destination. Of course we understand why, in the aftermath of the awful events of last September, fewer people are travelling, but this year's tartan day, which is next week, provides an ideal opportunity to showcase the best of traditional, as well as contemporary, Scottish culture, and I am determined that that is what tartan day will do. A great many Scottish artists, including contemporary artists, will be in New York next week, representing our thriving cultural scene and demonstrating what can be done.

There will also be home and away. I am referring not to the television soap opera, but to an innovative exhibition organised by the National Museums of Scotland. That will be presented on Ellis island, where many of the Scots immigrants first set foot in the new world. The tunes of glory march down 6^th Avenue will present the traditional view of Scotland.

The First Minister and I will support all those events and use them to sell Scotland as a unique and unforgettable tourist destination. There will also be other events involving golf and our film industry, organised by Scottish Screen.

I want to conclude by saying something about major events. Building on our experiences of the Ryder cup and Euro 2008, on which we are working very hard to ensure a successful outcome, we are developing a major events strategy. Members of staff have been dedicated to that task. I can inform Parliament today that, to help advance the work, I have agreed to the appointment of a company called Objective Performance Ltd. The people involved in that company—not least Mr Craig McLatchey, who was the driving force in the Sydney Olympic bid and was involved in the organisation of the millennium Olympics—have vast experience in the strategic approach to major events and event marketing. Mr McLatchey will be a great asset to us. Our aim is clear and ambitious—to secure Scotland's place as one of the world's foremost event destinations. Once the groundwork is complete, Scotland will have assembled detailed knowledge of what it takes to be successful in capturing major events.

As the framework for action says, we are intent on building a tourism industry in Scotland that is internationally competitive. We want Scotland to be a must-visit destination. We can credibly claim to have made good progress so far. The framework for action will move us closer to our target. It maps out the way forward for our tourism industry. All those who share our aim will want to support the motion this afternoon.

I move,

That the Parliament welcomes the progress that has been made by the Scottish Executive in implementing A New Strategy for Scottish Tourism since its publication in 2000 and commends the Tourism Framework for Action 2002:05 as the way to build on this and achieve a tourism industry that is internationally competitive and creates jobs and wealth for the people of Scotland.

Yet again, Parliament is faced with self-congratulatory twaddle from the Executive.

The motion as it stands defies the reality on the ground. The tourism sector has had to face calamitous events and is still in difficulties. No one could have predicted foot-and-mouth or the events of 11 September, but to ignore them or to imply that they are or were factored in is absurd. The motion talks about a strategy having existed since 2000. Given seismic global events, to suggest that all was and is covered is ludicrous. Although the Executive cannot be blamed for those events' having occurred, it must take responsibility for the handling of the crises that followed. The words "belated" and "inadequate" spring to mind—too little was done, too late, for too many.

Today, reference has been made to a major events strategy. The Ryder cup and Euro 2008 have been mentioned. We have lost one of those and we are in danger of losing the other if the Executive continues in its current manner.

The motion goes on to commend the framework for action as the way ahead, but the impotence of that document is shown by the parliamentary answer that I received from the minister earlier this week. When we asked what additional funding would be made available for the marketing of Scotland overseas following the publication of the framework, we were told:

"The Framework for Action is not a new strategy. It contains new actions, mainly for the industry, that will meet our aims for this important sector of the economy. The public agencies who provide support to the industry, will be able to do so within existing and planned funding levels."—[Official Report, Written Answers, 25 March 2002.]

The events that the industry, our nation and the world have faced have been calamitous. To suggest that existing budgets are adequate is pathetic. This is not a solution; it is yet more spin from an Executive that ignores and undervalues our biggest industry. There will be no hardship fund for those most deeply affected.

Will the member give way?

Not at the moment.

What is the reality? Foot-and-mouth disease and the events of 11 September have caused massive bleeding in the industry. The additional funding that has been provided is welcome but inadequate. The action that has been taken by agencies is welcome but piecemeal. We require an overarching strategy for making our land accessible to visitors and for marketing ourselves abroad. Sadly, the motion and the Executive's actions are deficient on both counts.

What is the situation and what needs done? First, there must be recognition of the underlying problems that the industry faces, in addition to the two calamitous events that have occurred. Action, albeit belated and inadequate, is being taken with regard to the latter, but nothing has been done to deal with the former. Scotland remains a high-price, high-cost destination because of the high pound and the high price of fuel. Those issues may be outwith the remit of this Parliament, but the Executive can neither wish them away nor avoid addressing them.

If the Executive is to be responsible for the health and welfare of both the industry and our people, it is obliged to take cognisance of those factors and to take what action it can to mitigate them. At the minimum, should we not indicate the significant damage that is being done to the industry by both the high pound and the high price of fuel, instead of taking the ostrich-like, head-in-the-sand attitude displayed by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport and his predecessors? Unless those two underlying factors are addressed, our industry will continue to require to fight a rearguard action in the face of overwhelming odds.

The industry does not need lectures; it needs action. If this Government would sort out what it is in charge of, the industry would be able to sort out what it is responsible for. The industry will sort out the quality aspects that are needed, but the Executive must sort out the fundamental matters that are crushing it. The Executive must stop lecturing and start delivering. The industry will cater for its clientele; the Executive's obligation is to help persuade possible clients to come to our land in the first place.

Will the member give way?

Not at the moment; I will let Winnie Ewing in in a minute.

Changes for the better have been made recently. Sadly for the Executive, that has been more by accident than by design. The new regime at VisitScotland has been impressive. Let us not forget, however, that the minister who previously had responsibility for tourism brought in another chief executive with great fanfare and promotion, only to ditch him within days at great public expense. Greater clarity and a clearer strategy are coming from VisitScotland, but the difficulties that have been forced upon the organisation remain.

Is the member aware that although the British Tourist Authority is responsible for 27 overseas offices, its recent document, "UK OK", misses out the Western Isles, Northern Isles, Moray, Aberdeen, Caithness and Sutherland, to mention but a few? How can anyone suggest that we are reaching out to those 27 overseas offices?

I fully agree and I will go on to mention the fact that we should give VisitScotland our full support and encourage it—rather than the BTA, whose actions are inadequate—to act in Scotland's interests.

Does the member agree that vast numbers of tourists come to Scotland every year from the rest of the UK and that it is essential to work in partnership with the British Tourist Authority to ensure that Scotland gets the best of both worlds?

The tourists who come from the other parts of the UK are encouraged to come here by the marketing strategy that VisitScotland has introduced. We have to promote VisitScotland, not undermine it by having it work with the ball and chain of the BTA around its feet.

There are matters of importance surrounding VisitScotland. There are political and ideological matters that it has to accept. E-tourism is vital, but why is there such hurry and, most important, why is a public-private partnership necessary? Yes, we have to outsource what is best dealt with by experts, but why do we have to sell out lock, stock and barrel? Were other forms of funding or venture capital considered? If not, why not? If they were ruled out, why was that done? What action will be taken to try to assuage the fears that have been intimated by Eddie Friel at Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board and by other area tourist boards?

There are two key priority areas: accessibility and marketing. I will move the amendment for those reasons, because they are critical. Our geography means that we need mechanisms and a strategy to make our land accessible at an affordable rate. We need to prioritise air routes, for both low-cost and other scheduled carriers, but the Executive has no strategy for that. I asked the Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning what strategy and funding were available. He replied that there was no specific budget and left it to a variety of other public sector and private organisations to deliver. Tourism is a key priority; it is a national responsibility. We need a route development fund. The Executive must deliver on that.

The other priority is marketing. Despite a modest increase in funds, it is quite clear that Ireland still spends more on marketing than we spend on our entire budget for VisitScotland. Moreover, as any marketer would say, we need to maximise our USP—our unique selling point. The Executive sends out mixed messages. VisitScotland works overtime to sell Scotland; meanwhile the Executive and the member for Midlothian expect us to flog "UK OK". Until we realise that our product is distinct and must be sold as such, we undersell our industry and sell out our country.

The mantra from the Executive's back benchers is, "Where's the money coming from"? Without going into the tales about readdressing priorities or the Scottish Enterprise budget, why do we not simply take our share of the BTA budget and give it to VisitScotland for marketing and a route development fund? The resources are there. We would be better served by VisitScotland and an organisation in charge of a route development fund than we are by the BTA, the British Airport Authority and British Airways.

The leadership is not there. This is about marketing and accessibility. It is about selling Scotland as a unique product and creating a route development fund for aviation or maritime routes. So far, the Executive has issued many glossy brochures and given itself many pats on the back, but that is not what is needed. That is why the motion is deficient and why I move my amendment.

I move amendment S1M-2941.2, to leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert:

"notes the damage caused to the tourism industry by the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and the events of 11 September 2001; further notes that the underlying problems of the high pound and high fuel costs remain; notes with concern that the Scottish Executive's Tourism

Framework for Action 2002:05 contains no additional funding; calls on the Executive to promote marketing and accessibility for the sector, and further calls for action to open new air routes to Scotland and to make VisitScotland, not the British Tourist Authority, responsible for marketing Scotland abroad."

This debate is long overdue. The industry has had five difficult years, culminating in the damage that was caused by foot-and-mouth disease and the terrible events of 11 September. Yet the industry has been given a report that is more like a briefing note that one would expect a civil servant to give to a minister. When Scotland's largest industry is in desperate need of strong leadership and a well thought out and meaningful strategy, the Executive appears to have done little more than gaze at its navel and wallow in self-adulation again.

For three years, I have argued consistently for a minister to represent tourism at Cabinet level. Lord Watson now has that responsibility, but so far all that he has done is allocate responsibility for the industry to all and sundry, while all that he intends to do is chair a steering group that will be advised by yet another group. That leaves Lord Watson as the mere figurehead of the ship—he is not the captain on the bridge.

The document that the minister praises is full of promotional material about why Scotland is a "must-visit destination". It does not focus on the challenges that are faced by the different regions in Scotland to promote tourism with a targeted marketing approach. The document contains nothing new and fails to deliver the detail of the marketing strategy in either the short term or the long term. The Executive has ignored the necessity of promoting innovative and creative solutions that will increase visitor numbers to Scotland.

I ask the minister where the money is to come from. The framework fails to outline the expenditure that has been committed to the action points and therefore fails to give the strategy any credibility. Rather than tell the industry what to do, the Executive should listen to what the industry needs. I tell Lord Watson and the Executive that, in my discussions with the industry, I have been listening carefully and have learned about not only the difficulties that the industry faces, but the action from the Executive that the industry believes is required.

David Davidson seems somewhat confused. He began by blaming me for not doing enough and for simply telling the public and private sectors what to do. Now he accuses me of doing too much and of not allowing business to have a say. Which is it? In the action plan, I am saying that all sorts of actions have been outlined for both the public and the private sectors. They will take those actions together, whereas my role is simply to ensure that that work moves forward. Surely he does not want a more dirigiste approach?

Perhaps the minister has forgotten that he is supposed to be responsible for the remit of VisitScotland, which is the public agency that services tourism. Will the minister tell us today whether he accepts responsibility for giving VisitScotland a remit? Will he tell us what that remit will be and whether he will give VisitScotland the resources to fulfil its remit? The previous minister certainly ducked those questions at every opportunity. That is where leadership is required. Tourism is a unique industry. Most of its services are delivered by the private sector but the support systems are funded by the public purse. Those systems must be focused and strategic and we must be told exactly what is to be delivered.

The minister has taken responsibility for only 10 per cent of the points on the action list. That is not exactly a hands-on approach and I am asking the minister to take a hands-on approach to everything. On behalf of the Executive, the minister must deliver what the industry is looking for.

Does David Davidson accept that, as well as the minister taking responsibility, the industry must also take some responsibility?

Absolutely. However, as I said, although the industry will deliver its product, it is looking for leadership for the public agencies that support the industry. Sadly, leadership from the Executive has been lacking in the past couple of years.

I ask the deputy minister to give us a simple assurance when she winds up the debate that members will learn exactly what remit has been given to VisitScotland and exactly how that remit will be supported. For example, will we be told what resources are to go into marketing? The minister accepted that the strategy was put in place two years ago, but we have moved on a lot since then. Mr MacAskill hit the nail on the head—the Executive has not reacted to the disastrous fall-out from foot-and-mouth and from events in America.

All businesses need to know where their resources will come from so that they can plan ahead. However, area tourist board chief executives seem to spend about 70 per cent of their time seeking the retention of standstill budgets. That is no way to run any business and it is down to the minister to resolve that situation— ATB budgets are his responsibility because the ATBs are part of the public support system.

The truth is that the "Tourism Framework for Action 2002:05" is an empty document, because it does not define, in the style of a business plan, what the minister will deliver on behalf of an industry that we all agree is the largest in Scotland. The industry needs support in marketing. We must have a distinct plan that deals with who will market Scotland, who will deliver resources and where they will deliver them, and who will help with training and how training will be accessed.

What does the minister have to say about access to the country? What involvement has the Executive had with direct air links, for example? What is the Executive doing about rolling out public transport?

That is on page 11.

It is on page 11—fine. Will there be a budget for page 11? Has the minister said what he will do and will his ministerial colleagues back him on that? Will he deliver for tourism on behalf of the Executive? Will his colleagues cross over their budgets for him? Will they deliver public transport? Will there be any action? The document is supposed to be about actions. It is the minister's document and so far there has been a distinct lack of anything from the minister, other than acknowledgement of the problems. There is no plan for delivery.

Please move your amendment, Mr Davidson.

I would be delighted.

I move amendment S1M-2941.1, to leave out from "welcomes" to end and insert:

"recognises the distinct lack of performance by the Scottish Executive in assisting the tourism industry to be internationally competitive and create more jobs; considers that, after five months of consultation, the Tourism Framework for Action 2002:05 spells out the obvious and provides no real vision for focusing on the real challenges faced by the different regions in Scotland in order to promote tourism opportunities through a targeted marketing approach, and believes that it is entirely unacceptable that the only role the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport will play is to head a Steering Group while the Executive takes responsibility for a mere 10% of the actions outlined in the framework without allowing business input into the strategy behind the action plan."

In 55 minutes, we will get a rant from the Tories on why we should have less Government and less of the Parliament. I wish that the Tories would decide what they want. They have just lectured us on the need for ministers and the Executive to do everything. In less than an hour, we will receive a lecture to exactly the opposite effect. There we go.

Maureen Macmillan hosted a discussion with the tourism industry at lunch time. I am sure that David Davidson was not there for perfectly understandable reasons. At that meeting, I heard about the need to talk up Scotland, rather than to talk it down. Once again, the two Opposition parties have given us a rather predictable series of points about all that is wrong—

Will the member give way?

No, I will make progress first. We have heard quite enough from the Conservatives.

You're frit.

I assure the member that the truth is quite the contrary.

There are a couple of positive points. In his speech, the minister mentioned international events. I draw his attention to the international pool championships, which will take place in my constituency in June. Eleven hundred separate participants and eleven different nations will take part in an international sporting event. We must applaud and celebrate that, and congratulate the organisers.

One of the driving forces for tourism in my constituency is music and the ability to use music creatively—culturally and socially, as well as educationally—to enhance Shetland's status as a great product. The way in which we have been able to sell to the American market, through visitors on cruise liners every year, has been particularly important. That is an example of making the best of a small community that is a long way from the central belt of Scotland.

I have three brief points to make. On overseas marketing, we should not enter into a constitutional battle about the British Tourist Authority. Instead, there needs to be a rigorous service level agreement between VisitScotland and the BTA, so that Scotland—through VisitScotland—can obtain the services that it needs from that organisation. I saw a poster recently, which—on the back of foot-and-mouth disease and September of last year—had a promotion for the whole of the United Kingdom that consisted of Tower bridge and the Coldstream Guards, with a little strapline about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Let us find ways to enhance the BTA's service. We should do that through a rigorous working arrangement, which could be to the advantage of VisitScotland and the Scottish tourism industry. That could be worked through in a concrete way and I encourage ministers to consider that potential. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we should take the best of the BTA's work and tackle the specific points that I raised. That would deal with Dr Ewing's point about the areas that are excluded from the BTA's campaign. If a service level agreement were in place, that problem would not arise.

On international connections, I share the aspirations of others, including Kenny MacAskill and David Davidson, for more international connections to and from Scotland. That is rightly part of the minister's action plan. The low-cost carriers provide a unique challenge. It must be borne in mind that it might not be in Scotland's tourist interests to promote a net outflow of potential domestic visitors, as is the case at the moment.

In discussions this morning, VisitScotland pointed out to me the potential market that is offered by the new destinations to which low-cost carriers fly direct from Scotland. I hope that those opportunities will grow. For example, if the low-cost carriers provided an Inverness to Milan link, areas of Europe that have not previously benefited from VisitScotland's marketing might open up. We should take advantage of that potential rather than talk it down. However, there are no guarantees with low-cost carriers, as we know from the Dublin to Edinburgh route, from which Go was in effect forced out by Ryanair in a hard price-cutting war. We would therefore need to reflect on that before targeting and marketing on the basis of the operations of the low-cost carriers.

Finally, I want to comment on the integration of tourism and information services. Tourist information centres play an important role in providing a range of services to visitors but, as the Parliament debated only last week, many areas of Scotland—indeed, all areas of Scotland—have considerable problems with post offices. I cannot believe that we could not pool tourist information centres, post offices and other community facilities that provide services to local people and visitors. By pooling those things, we could create what might be called community information centres, instead of simply tourist information centres, which would be facilities that were available to all. That is the kind of imaginative thinking that is needed to provide information for both local people and the important Scottish tourism industry.

We come now to the open part of the debate. Members are aware that time is tight, so I will be strict about allowing only four minutes for speeches.

When I was a kid on the isle of Skye, one of the favourite pastimes that I remember was riding on Uncle Lachie's boat, as he took the tourists across from Elgol to Loch Coruisk in the heart of the Cuillins. It was a magical experience. Those members who are familiar with the mountains will appreciate the drama and the beauty of the Cuillins. The boat trip with Lachie was very much part of that experience, but not necessarily because of his conversation. In fact, most tourists considered themselves fortunate if they heard more than half a dozen words from him, which were usually of the "Well, well, well, it's raining again" variety.

Last year, I took my in-laws on the same boat trip but, this time, the boat was the "Bella Jane", which had Donald Stewart at the wheel. How things have changed! These days, the tourists get tea, coffee and shortbread on the way across. Donald Stewart provides a running commentary on the passing flora and fauna, on the natural history of the island and on virtually any other subject or question that one cares to throw at him. People still come from far and wide for the same reason that they have done so since Sir Walter Scott's day—to marvel at the beauty of the Cuillins. However, Donald Stewart has added quality. He has recognised that customer care and the highest modern standards need not be comprised to allow people to get away from it all, which is something that most of us still enjoy.

Members who are familiar with Skye will also know the Three Chimneys restaurant. According to the papers only two weeks ago, the Three Chimneys is recognised as one of the top 20 restaurants not only in Scotland or the UK, but in the world. Again, quality is at the heart of that success story.

Supporting quality and high standards are what we must concentrate on if we are to build on the traditional strengths and appeal of our country. Without wishing to hark too much down memory lane, I remind members of what it used to be like to eat out anywhere in Scotland, especially in the Highlands and Islands: over-cooked grey food, boiled meat, boiled potatoes and boiled cabbage. Today, the jetty in Elgol can provide a café latte to compare with any in Byers Road or, for that matter, Soho, New York or Paris.

The examples that I have mentioned are not large-scale attractions but are typical of most of our tourism industry, which often consists of small, family-owned businesses. Their success allows families to prosper and thrive in otherwise fragile communities but, as they are vulnerable to sudden down-turns in the tourist market, they have been badly hit by the events of the past year. It was a hard way to learn, but the impact of foot-and-mouth disease and of 11 September demonstrated the importance of tourism to our economy. Tourism businesses are vital not only to our local communities but to the economy more generally. That is now recognised.

Tourism is a large and expanding industry. I welcome the Executive's commitment to maintaining and building on the industry's success. That is exemplified by the appointment of Mike Watson as a Cabinet minister with responsibility for tourism. There is no doubt that we have experienced difficulties in the past, but I believe that we have now identified the strategy, which will not be imposed from the top down but will build on the industry's support and so play to our strengths. The strategy develops the reputation that Scotland already enjoys as a tourist destination. The Executive will do what it can to build on our market position.

The strategy fully recognises the importance of the industry, both to small businesses the length and breadth of the country and to our national economy. It also works to improve what we already have to offer, drive up standards, improve quality of service and make the most of our most valuable asset—our people.

It must be something to do with spring that brings these debates around; I seem to recall our having a debate on tourism on almost exactly the same date last year, albeit in very different circumstances.

Last year, the impact of the tourism crisis on Perthshire was immediate. At the time, Perth and Kinross Council estimated that around £1 million was being lost in the area each week. That is obviously a lot of money and a lot of jobs were affected. The knock-on effects are still being felt this year—I suspect that that is true throughout Scotland. Tourism businesses in my constituency and across Perthshire are trying hard to be optimistic and, with most of them having just survived last year, they are working very hard to make this year's season as good as they can.

Others have spoken about the problems that the industry has suffered and about the difficulties that it still faces; I would like to concentrate on something a little different. I confess that I have not read "Tourism Framework for Action 2002:2005" in detail because it is a different document that I want to raise with the minister today. Members may recall a very welcome recent document called "A Soundtrack for Scottish Tourism"—I am sure that the minister is well aware of it. It was published by VisitScotland together with the Scottish Arts Council. Members may even have signed my motion on it. For those who missed the document, I will say that those two bodies conducted a joint initiative—the traditional music and tourism initiative—from 1999 to 2002. As someone who is passionate about music, particularly music that flows from the indigenous tradition in Scotland, the initiative was—I am sorry about the pun—music to my ears.

The name of the game nowadays is diversification. Whether we are talking about Perthshire or about Scotland as a whole, we are in a very competitive international market. My one concern when I read through the soundtrack document, with its catalogue of successful projects across the country, was that none of them was based on my patch. Cue immediate letters locally and an early meeting with the local area tourist board and its new chief executive. I had an extremely useful, constructive and entertaining meeting with the new chief executive, but I am sure that he would not contradict me when I say that he was lukewarm, to say the least, about the soundtrack initiative. As he was new in his post, it would hardly be fair to blame him for the lack of any Perthshire musical voice in the initiative, but the meeting highlighted for me one of the structural problems with the tourism set-up in Scotland, namely the extent to which—again, members will have to pardon the pun—we are able to get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet.

Perthshire is the home of some of Scotland's best traditional music. Niel Gow, the fiddler, came from there, as did the whole tradition of the Travellers and the world-famous Stewart dynasty, and as do Dougie MacLean, Jim Malcolm and Hamish Moore. There is a long list of music and musicians, past and present, on which to build a regional tourism initiative on the back of the national one but, so far, that has not happened. Much good work is done nationally and internationally to promote Scotland in a particular way, to sell the country to niche markets or to all markets, to market what is wholly indigenous to us, and to showcase what simply cannot be found anywhere else—obviously, traditional Scottish music will not come from anywhere else—but I am concerned that all that work can be defeated on the ground.

I had a very useful meeting this morning with VisitScotland and the Scottish Arts Council about the soundtrack initiative and they tell me that a review of the relationship between the area tourist boards and VisitScotland is going on and that the minister is visiting area tourist boards, partly with that relationship in mind. I make a plea that the minister's closing speech should contain some remarks on how that review is going and on how that relationship can be changed so that, across Scotland, we are genuinely trying to do the same thing at the same time.

I am pleased to speak in the tourism debate today. I could talk for four minutes about the poor state of the trunk and non-trunk roads in the Highlands, about the sedentary strategy of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited in providing affordable and available transport links, or about the fact that a private ferry operator—Pentland Ferries Ltd—can operate a better service to Orkney, at a fraction of the price, than the state-subsidised service. However, I am sure that others will raise those crucial transport issues.

Today, I would like to use my slot to talk about food. Given the surge of interest in food and the Europe-wide boom in gastro-tourism, I am relieved that Scotland's food is at least mentioned in the action plan, which says:

"Some of the finest food and drink in the world is produced in Scotland."

Scotland has the healthiest food that anyone could eat and tourism provides a ready market for locally grown produce that is free from genetically modified organisms. A promotion of our food would benefit businesses of all sizes and would secure Scotland's reputation for excellence.

Given that we have a culinary tradition to be proud of, we should be far from happy with scoring an average of 14 per cent in a survey of German, French, Italian and Spanish tourists on "good places to eat out" and an average of 33 per cent for "local products to eat and drink". I understand that there are proposals for a food and drink consumer magazine to help promote the best in Scottish produce. I ask the minister to meet the people who are involved in the publication of the magazine to raise awareness of and promote the best Scottish quality produce here and abroad.

I am happy to take up that offer, as I am sure Ross Finnie, who has responsibility for that area, will be. I also draw to Mary Scanlon's attention page 15 of the action plan, which states that we intend to

"Support uptake of the Food Quality Assurance scheme (FoodStars) and the Taste of Scotland award scheme."

The document gives considerable importance to the fact that the quality of food that is available to tourists is an important part of their holiday experience.

I noticed that that comment appeared later in the document and I welcome it. I would also like to welcome the positive comments about Skye made by the First Minister and by Ken Macintosh. The debate would not be complete without mentioning the great achievement of Shirley and Eddie Spear's Three Chimneys restaurant, which has been voted the 28 ^th best restaurant in the world. I have spoken to Shirley Spear in the past few days and can say that she puts a large part of her success down to the use of local produce. She is full of praise for the food initiative on Skye, where businesses work together to co-ordinate buying and selling from one another. Recently, the island food link van won a national award. Could that initiative not be used as a benchmark and rolled out to other islands and mainland Scotland to maximise local produce?

Shirley Spear welcomes visitors, who seek her out from all over the world. She firmly believes that food is best served where it belongs. She serves fresh salad and vegetables from Glendale, cheeses from Achmore, mussels from Drumfearn, oysters from Carbost and wonderful seafood from surrounding lochs. The fact that there is no travelling time ensures peak freshness and making good use of local produce helps to promote and sustain businesses on Skye. The new box scheme, the food link van, the food festival and the Skye and Lochalsh Horticultural Development Association's bid to start a regular farmers market have all been successful. However, all those schemes need support in order to grow in strength. The food and drink co-ordinator's post at Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise has been invaluable. It has been funded with help from the LEADER programme, but I understand that no future funding is available. A similar initiative is taking place on Orkney, funded through the oil reserve fund. I must also mention Orkney salmon, lamb, oatcakes, cheese and fudge.

I hope that I have done my bit to talk up Scotland and to promote some of the best examples of Scottish food. I ask the Executive to ensure that Scottish food is given its rightful place at the top of our marketing strategy.

I would like to speak about a local tourism initiative, but first I will make a couple of general points. I welcome the fact that the tourism strategy mentions customer focus. A few weeks ago in Brussels I took a taxi and the taxi driver spoke fluent English. I remarked how good his English was and he told me that he also spoke Spanish, French, German, Italian and Flemish. He made the important point that he has to be able to speak all those languages because it is part of his job. There is a challenge ahead of us to equip people in the tourism industry with the tools to do the job. I am pleased that the strategy makes a point about customer focus, as it is vital.

My second point is about the euro. It might not happen this year, or even next year, but it will not be too long before tourists from mainland Europe will expect visitor attractions, retail outlets, hotels and restaurants to accept the euro. We need to work in partnership with the industry to make progress on that issue.

My third point before I speak about local initiatives concerns access to and from mainland Europe. The new roll-on, roll-off ferry line from Rosyth to Zeebrugge will bring tremendous opportunities for the tourism industry. VisitScotland and local tourist boards must be prepared to seize the initiative.

The improved access to Prestwick from Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt was not accompanied by promotional literature. Ayrshire MSPs have met regularly with the tourist board to ask that promotional literature in native languages be made available at those access points. We need to gear up on that so that we can take advantage of the opportunities that are going to come from the new ferry link.

Tourism generates approximately £300 million for the Ayrshire economy and 10,000 people rely on the industry for their livelihoods. In Ayrshire, we are rightly proud of our Burns heritage and our traditional attractions, such as Burns cottage, Brig o' Doon and Culzean castle. However, there is also a great deal going on in local communities to attract visitors.

I take the opportunity to mention that Kilwinning is to host the British town criers championship in June. It is the first time that that championship has ever come to Scotland. Hotels in neighbouring towns are fully booked. Sponsors have come on board. Perhaps the minister could find time in his busy diary to attend. As I understand, Kilwinning is the only town in Scotland that has a town crier. We are very excited about the championship. We are also all excited that the town crier is going to lead the tartan day parade of 10,000 pipers in New York. That is certainly worth mentioning.

The community of Kilwinning has worked hard to develop such local initiatives. However, many doors remained closed to the community. It was looking for £400 for promotional postcards to take to New York to advertise the town criers championship. It has had no success in persuading any tourism organisation to assist it with that. I wonder whether the minister might be able to do something about that or to comment on it in summing up.

I have a brief point to make about the Scottish Maritime Museum, about which I have written to the Deputy Minister for Tourism Culture and Sport. The museum is crucial to the regeneration that is being undertaken at the tourism hub of Irvine harbourside with the Big Idea and the maritime leisure centre and to the local work that is being done to upgrade and regenerate the local economy. I would welcome it if the minister could say whether any assistance might be available to save jobs that are on the line.

I commend the motion.

I am not sure about the advertising for local constituencies that is going on. You are never going to get that from me, Presiding Officer. [MEMBERS: "Go on."] Well, maybe a little.

I am disappointed by the negative speeches from Opposition members, who are talking down Scotland and the Scottish tourism industry. I hope that we get a more positive approach in the summing-up speeches because Scotland has much to offer and it is not all doom and gloom.

For example, the latest comparable year-on-year figures from north-east Fife for the first nine months of 2001 show a 4 per cent increase in visitor numbers, a 4 per cent increase in tourism employment, and a 5 per cent increase in tourism expenditure. Those nine months were meant to be all doom and gloom. That shows that there are opportunities for tourism in Scotland if we are able to take them. I accept that those increases were partly due to what was in effect the closure of Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders for much of that time. People came further north, and perhaps we gained from that.

Through Iain Smith, I ask the minister whether he can confirm that his department made an allocation to VisitScotland to cover the tourism element of the Scottish Borders recovery plan. Will he instruct VisitScotland to follow up that money to Scottish Borders Tourist Board to enable it to access match funding for European objective 2—

Mr Jenkins, you have made your point, but members are expected to intervene on other members' speeches to put points to those members.

Ian Jenkins has made a valuable point. I raised the issue of the knock-on effect of foot-and-mouth disease on tourism in the Borders. I hope that the minister will address that in summing up.

The important point in north-east Fife is that businesses have invested in quality and are providing the public with what they want. That has been backed up by important public expenditure to ensure that we have, for example, award-winning beaches in places such as St Andrews and Elie, the coastal footpath network, and the cycleways network. That public investment has been important. In addition, last year we had the opening of the new pontoon facilities at Anstruther harbour to encourage sailing. There are other excellent tourism facilities, such as the Scottish Fisheries Museum at Anstruther, National Trust for Scotland properties such as Kellie Castle and Falkland Palace, the secret bunker at Crail, many golf resorts and facilities, excellent restaurants and, of course, Scotland's champion fish and chip shop. All those things bring tourists into north-east Fife.

I hear what the member says about the pontoon at Anstruther, which I presume anyone can use. What would he say with regard to public investment in the jetty on Eigg which, as there are only 30 cars there, amounts to £260,000 per car? Only the cars on Eigg can use it, yet mainland taxpayers are paying for it. Does he agree that, given such public investment, all cars should be able to access Eigg through that new jetty in order to help tourism?

The member is now in his last minute.

I would like some injury time because of those questions, which were totally unrelated to my speech. I am not in a position to comment on the Isle of Eigg and I have no intention of doing so.

The work that is being done by tourism businesses in Fife has been supported by the area tourist board. I hope that, in summing up, the minister will give his thoughts on area tourist boards. Some are doing excellent work—they are successful, efficient, and they work well with other tourist boards on joint projects and promotions—but there are concerns about the future of the network, so it would be useful if the minister could comment. There are also concerns about the PPP initiative for visitscotland.com and the national call centre, and the impact that they will have because of the loss of local knowledge. That is an important point, given the quality of information one can get from local tourist information centres compared to what one could get from a national call centre.

I will speak briefly about the number of overseas visitors. It is important to remember that, although they are important, the proportion of overseas visitors is small—92 per cent of visitors are from the UK, and only 8 per cent are from abroad. We can do things about that. Opportunities arise from, for example, direct flights and cheap flights, but they have to be backed up by investment in public transport, rail links at airports, and improved bus and rail timetables. Irene Oldfather mentioned the Zeebrugge to Rosyth ferry service. It is important to note that that is being promoted by VisitScotland, area tourist boards and the ferry companies.

We do not really recognise the concept of injury time, especially when the injury is self-inflicted.

I will try to keep to my time limit.

It is disappointing that, almost three years into the session, we find that our income from tourism is down by £0.5 billion and we have many fewer visitors to Scotland. That is an indictment of Liberal-Labour policies during the past three years. Not everything that has happened has been the Government's fault, but it is not blameless.

Thankfully, some of our tourist boards are trying hard to promote their areas. In particular, I welcome the initiative announced by Fife Tourist Board in conjunction with Grampian and Aberdeen Tourist Board and Angus and Dundee Tourist Board. I hope that that will be a successful initiative for that part of the world. I was disappointed to see that the Liberal Democrat Jamie Stone attacked that initiative in the press yesterday. How short-sighted and pathetic for an MSP from another part of the country to attack one region for having its own initiatives. He seems to be concerned that tourists might be attracted to the east of Scotland, as opposed to going to the Highlands and Islands, whereas I think that it is positive to attract as many people into Scotland as possible, on the understanding that once they are in Scotland they will visit various locations.

It is good that those tourist boards are promoting that part of Scotland, because no one else is. As Kenny MacAskill said, we cannot rely on the British Tourist Authority. The authority's brochure titled "Hidden Britain: A Touring Guide" is ludicrous. It should not have been printed, never mind funded by any Scots taxpayers. The document should have been called not "Hidden Britain", but "Hidden North-East Scotland", "Hidden Shetlands", "Hidden Moray" or "Hidden Western Isles". That British publication covers every English region, but much of Scotland is missed out. We should not give that publication one penny.

The minister wrote to me after that publication was brought to his attention and said that VisitScotland would call in all such documents and examine drafts. I welcome that response, but we should go one step further by not sending those people money and by publishing our own stuff.

During the summer, I bumped into an Irish tourism official who works in England. His job is to attract people from England to Ireland. Ireland does not rely on the British Tourist Authority, so why should we? He thought that our efforts were pathetic, because his industry was booming. Ireland manages to fully fund offices with many staff around the world. We should aim to do that.

We have a new minister, so we have new glossy documents, too. However, all that we have is the same old tinkering at the edges. As Kenny MacAskill said, we must deal with the fundamentals, such as the transport infrastructure. Today's issue of The Press and Journal contains an article about the advantages that Ryanair's new air route from Aberdeen to Dublin will have for the tourism industry, including the hotel industry, in north-east Scotland. Local hoteliers are launching a publicity drive in Ireland to take advantage of the new route, but complaints are being made that the local tourist board does not have the money to launch such a drive. We must address that.

A few months ago, while I was on an overcrowded train from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, I spoke to disgusted Italian tourists. It is ludicrous that Scotland is in such a situation in the 21^st century. We must deal with the rail network, all our rail strikes and the fact that our trains are overcrowded—what sort of welcome are they for people who visit Scotland?

I remind the minister that if the Parliament needs more powers to boost our tourism industry, we should call for those powers. I ask the minister to stop producing glossy documents and tinkering at the edges, as that will get the Parliament and the tourism industry nowhere.

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate. As Roseanna Cunningham and others have said, the last debate on tourism was held way back in May 2001, when the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was having a serious effect on the tourism industry. Then, it was essential that the Parliament addressed the issues. It is right that the Parliament should address some of the long-term issues that affect the industry. According to the tourism operators whom I met at lunch time, much greater optimism is now being felt about the industry's situation.

This is the first tourism debate that the new Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport has initiated. Many in the industry called for a dedicated minister to represent the industry at Cabinet level, and I welcome him to his place.

The Government's "Tourism Framework for Action 2002:2005" is welcome because it sets out the priorities for the industry and makes it clear to every stakeholder in the sector who is responsible for delivering the programme of change. I hope that that will stop the buck passing of the past. It was welcome that the document was launched in Oban at the busiest tourist information centre in Scotland. That area depends on tourism more than most.

The three priorities in the document are key. The first is improving the industry's market position by developing a better and stronger approach with clearly defined brands and products. The second is consumer focus to drive up quality for visitors. The third is enhanced status for tourism to ensure that the industry's importance is recognised.

Quality is important. When I was in Tavish Scott's constituency of Shetland at the weekend, I met Marcia Williamson, who has made a guest house business world renowned through attention to quality and the use of information technology. More than 50 per cent of her business comes from the internet and 25 per cent of that is repeat bookings. She has taken just about every quality assurance course that is available, because she realises the importance of that. In all her work, she has put quality at the top of the agenda. That is a good example of the attitude and commitment that must be encouraged.

I have said this many times, but it is worth repeating: word of mouth is one of the best forms of marketing. If a visitor to an area has a good holiday, they will be more inclined to return, and they will tell their family and friends about it. That is true of us and of other people from all over the world.

I recognise the Executive's desire to place a focus on niche markets, as Scotland has some exciting opportunities in that respect. However, there are people in my Highlands and Islands constituency who feel that the strengths of the environmental and outdoor holidays in which they specialise and of cultural tourism may be overshadowed by a concentration on niche marketing, such as golf and big events such as Euro 2008. I hope that the minister will address that point when he sums up.

In mentioning Euro 2008, I am reminded that we compare ourselves continually with Ireland. Euro 2008 offers a great Scottish/Irish venture. I hope to see such ventures develop, particularly in the field of tourism and especially given that the Ballycastle to Kintyre ferry will recommence next summer. That creates a real opportunity to jointly market Scotland and the Highlands.

I would also like to see a better-organised public transport system in the Highlands and Islands with a sophisticated through-ticketing operation. That would complement the European ferry from Rosyth, which will bring car passengers and passengers who will use public transport.

We must continue to monitor the progress of the framework. The cross-party group on tourism will examine closely it and other developments in the industry. I hope that the Executive will continue to work closely with all parts of the industry to ensure that quality and professionalism are delivered.

I welcome the recognition by the Parliament and the Executive of the necessity and importance of a debate on tourism. Particularly at this time, Scotland has much that the tourist can appreciate and enjoy—the country offers them an excellent holiday experience.

We cannot have a viable and vibrant tourism industry unless we are able to reverse the decline of tourism. That had begun to happen well before foot-and-mouth and 11 September. For us to attract an increasing number of tourists to Scotland, we must overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of people coming here, not least of which are the high cost of the pound, the refusal to engage in joining the euro, the high rate of VAT, petrol prices, airport taxes and business rates—I could go on, but I promised not to mention the Skye bridge tolls. All those factors add up to a strong disincentive to visitors.

Have the tolls on the Skye bridge had a bad effect on trade at the Three Chimneys restaurant?

That is a matter for debate.

If we are to attract tourists, we need to promote a programme of educating the major tour operators and travel agents about exactly where Scotland is on the world map. Most overseas visitors who book a holiday in Scotland will probably be routed through a London airport. Tourists, and the airlines, must be made aware of Scotland's excellent airport facilities, which are accessible from all major international airports. Tourists coming to Scotland will often arrive at Heathrow, only to find to their dismay that they have to traverse the city of London to secure their onward flights to the north. Such a situation has had a detrimental effect on our visitor numbers.

One way to help to overcome the problem would be to change fundamentally the role of the British Tourist Authority. Instead of it being the umbrella body that is set on top of the national tourist bodies, the BTA should take a back-seat role and function as a servicing organisation. VisitScotland, our own tourist body, needs to be able to promote Scotland in the United Kingdom, Europe and worldwide. We are best suited to do that and we should not have to leave the responsibility to others.

I add that no matter how well we are able to attract tourists, the experience that they have while they are in this country is what will make them go home and tell their friends that Scotland is the place to visit. That is why it is vital that we start to do something about our public services. We have to ensure that our transport system is first class and that our guest houses and hotels are open and welcoming and offer value for money. We must also ensure that our tourist attractions are worth visiting. I am sure that everyone agrees with that.

The problem that we face is that we have a tourism industry, but we do not yet have a tourism culture that goes beyond the visitor centres and attractions. One area that needs urgent attention is the service that is offered by our so-called hospitality industry. We also need to take a hard look at the cleanliness of our cities and at the effectiveness of our transport system. Surely it is fundamental that tourists can get where they want when they want.

Given such challenges, marketing alone will not be enough to deliver a brighter future for Scottish tourism if visitors' basic expectations are not met. After 11 September, the only certainty is that the situation for tourism businesses will get tougher. Given that Scotland has been struggling for many years, now is the time to examine the fundamentals to ensure that we can compete in an increasingly competitive market.

I am delighted that the Executive and the Parliament have secured the time to debate such an important issue.

I start by making a correction for the record. I was not talking down Scotland in my opening speech. We are debating the Executive's role in supporting tourism and the industry's expectations, not the results that the industry is delivering. Furthermore, I point out that I was missing from today's briefing because I have had many briefings over the past few days with members of the tourism fraternity.

A number of important points have been raised. I note that Tavish Scott agrees that VisitScotland's remit needs clarity. He suggested a service agreement, but I believe that—unless he tells us otherwise—the minister is responsible for establishing the remits of such agencies and providing the resources for them. It is then up to the agencies to fulfil those remits.

Mary Scanlon, John Farquhar Munro and other members have mentioned access and transport links. It was also good to hear members highlighting quality, on which the industry's success is totally dependent. Mary Scanlon talked at such length about food that our mouths were watering. Other members raised similar important points. Although we have a world-class product in Scotland, we must ensure that everyone who delivers tourism does so to an equally high standard.

We are selling the diversity of Scotland, not saying, "Never mind the midges; come and see the sun." Scotland has something special to offer. The minister was right to talk about the links to culture and the built heritage. Although I welcome the public-private partnership element of the review, we must ensure that we have a partnership agreement. My criticisms today have focused on the Executive's side of the partnership, and we hope that the minister kick-starts developments and proceeds at the speed that the industry requires. In spite of the past year's disasters, there has not been much of a response so far. Now is a good time for the Executive to play its part in the partnership.

Roseanna Cunningham mentioned the ATB review, which will be important. One of the issues that will emerge from the review is the clarity of ATB funding streams. E-tourism will be vital and, after project Ossian's false start, we have a new opportunity to deliver a good product. We must also realise that such developments will take away revenue flows that ATBs receive from providing support to tourism. I hope that, when she winds up, the minister will assure us that that issue will be taken into account in the review of the funding streams for ATBs.

The minister also raised the vital issue of encouraging people to choose a career in tourism. To do that, we must ensure not only that there is access to good on-the-job and information technology training, but that there is an acceptance that tourism is our biggest industry and that we should be proud of it. Schools, colleges and universities that specialise in teaching tourism practice, such as Robert Gordon University and the University of Strathclyde, must be given every possible support to ensure that our own people are taught how to deliver a world-class product.

Not surprisingly, the euro was mentioned during the debate. As we have said all along, we see no reason why a business should not decide to accept euros. That is a matter between the business and its bank. Indeed, similar arrangements have been in place for the dollar for generations.

I hope the minister will say a little more about how she intends to deal with the issue of dispersal. Far too many tourists get tied up in the central belt, so we must ensure that the so-called Heineken effect is felt and that the tourism industry has the ability to reach the parts that other industries do not reach.

The minister and members spelled out clearly the importance of the tourism industry to Scotland. Tourism is arguably our most important industry and—more important—it is important everywhere in Scotland, which cannot be said of other industries. Tourism is particularly important for rural areas, because there are often no alternative industries of such size in such areas.

Many members alluded to the foot-and-mouth crisis, which not only directly affected agriculture and tourism, but—ironically—affected farmers who had been seeking to diversify into tourism. We must take steps to ensure that if there is a future outbreak of foot-and-mouth—nobody can guarantee that there will not be—we minimise the effect.

We must consider our policy on the countryside. Last night, I was in the audience when Jim Walker said that one of the first things we had to do if we detected disease was to close down the country. I think what he meant was that we would need to close down the country to animal movements. However, his statement was characteristic of some of the things that were said during the foot-and-mouth crisis. I hope that one of the many non-public inquiries will make a recommendation about what is needed in relation to access to the countryside in that kind of situation.

The minister's speech was a bit disappointing. He said little that was new and much of what he did say could have been said five years ago when Labour came to power. We wonder why it was not said then. As my colleague Kenny MacAskill said, the key priorities are accessibility and marketing. John Farquhar Munro made the point about accessibility and I congratulate him on being on message, although I think it was the Scottish National Party's message rather than his party's message.

The problem is that for so many people, London is their first destination, because it is the only transport option available to them. We must take steps to change that situation. Kenny MacAskill made the point that the Irish spend much more on marketing than we do. One must ask why that is the case.

Let us consider some of the actions in the document "Tourism Framework for Action 2002:2005". Under the accessibility objective, business must apparently

"Lobby as a group to increase the number of direct access routes."

Who will they lobby? How will that change anything? Will the Executive or the Government be more responsive? The next time that business comes along to do some lobbying, which I presume they have been doing for years, they will say that they are doing it in response to a Government document.

On local access, the document states that business must

"Work, where appropriate ... with local transport operators" and

"Be aware of local public transport options and needs."

I suspect that businesses have been doing that for years. The document goes on to say that local authorities and the Executive must

"Provide effective transport infrastructure and services for visitors and local residents."

Since the Parliament was set up, we have had innumerable debates, asking the Executive to provide an effective transport infrastructure. Are we to believe that including that in the framework document will make everything change? I do not think that it will.

The problem with the tourism document is that, of the long list of actions, most are the responsibility of others and nearly all are self-evident and probably being done to some extent. None of the actions has any measurement attached; there is no method for us to assess whether the Executive is implementing its objectives successfully. The actions are woolly and vague. Without lifting a finger, the minister will be able to return to the chamber in a year and claim that he has carried out every one of the objectives.

Tourism is Scotland's most important industry. Would anyone listening to this debate have known that? I think not. The framework is self-congratulatory. I concede to the minister that the document has the advantage of not being glossy. Most of it is matt, with, as the minister pointed out, the simple word "act" printed on the cover. I hope that he does act, because in a year people will be asking difficult questions about our most important industry.

Dr Elaine Murray will wind up for the Executive. If she could finish as close to 16:00 as possible, that would be helpful.

Okay. Thank you, Presiding Officer.

The debate has been interesting. It started off with the usual old moans from the Conservative party and the SNP. Despite that, there were constructive comments from all parts of the chamber during the course of the debate, which was a welcome change.

I feel that Kenny MacAskill, Alasdair Morgan and David Davidson have a misconception about what the tourism document is about. We have been told to stop lecturing and start acting. The document is called "Tourism Framework for Action 2002:2005" and it is about actions. It is intended to provide a clearer sense of the way forward for the industry.

For the benefit of David Davidson, I point out that there was a full consultation exercise with the industry, which received 300 responses. The tourism businesses were fully involved in the preparation of the framework through the representative bodies and their views shaped the document. That has been borne out by the fact that the document has been widely welcomed by the tourism industry, as Mike Watson and I found out when we attended the launches in Oban and Dumfries. The Scottish Tourist Forum and the area tourist boards said that it was exactly what the industry has been looking for. The British Hospitality Association said that the framework reflects the priorities of the industry and that the industry will work with the Executive to ensure that it is fully implemented. The Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions said that it welcomes the framework and fully endorses its vision for tourism and the collaborative approach that is suggested. There seems to be a high level of agreement about the necessity of going forward in this manner.

Will the Scottish Executive take responsibility for the remit of VisitScotland? What will that remit be and will the minister support it?

I will come to that in a minute.

As the British Tourist Authority has been mentioned, I should make it clear that the BTA has statutory responsibility for the marketing of Britain overseas. The SNP talked about the fact that we do not give the BTA any money. That is correct. The Scottish Executive does not give the BTA any money; the British Government does. The BTA spends about £5 million marketing Scotland overseas. That money allows Scotland access to 26 offices in 11 countries. I doubt whether VisitScotland would be able to provide that should the UK Government decide to pass the £5 million to it, which is unlikely. The role of VisitScotland is to supplement the activity of the BTA and the two bodies have a regularly reviewed marketing agreement that specifies what each body will do.

I hope that that has clarified some of the issues, as I would like to talk about some of the constructive remarks that have been made today.

Tavish Scott made some useful comments about the need for community information centres. Such centres would provide a way in which to bring community activities together.

Mary Scanlon and Maureen Macmillan referred to the importance of Scotland's food and drink, which play an important part in the partnership between the tourism industry and other industries that promote Scotland.

Roseanna Cunningham is pushing at an open door with regard to the traditional arts. I was sorry to hear that she had had a problem in her area with the promotion of the soundtrack initiative. I know that it was successful in Dumfries and Galloway and I will be taking an active interest in the review. I am sure that we will tell members more about the initiative in future.

Irene Oldfather referred to the need for customer focus, which is one of the main thrusts of the document. She made a pertinent point about the linguistic deficits of the British and the fact that we are not good at communicating in other languages. However, I am not sure what we might do about that.

Maureen Macmillan pointed out the opportunities that will be afforded by Euro 2008.

I welcome the reference to support for major events in Scotland. Will the minister give us a commitment to support major women's events in Scotland? Specifically, will she give us a commitment to support the women's open golf championship in Scotland?

I would be more than happy to talk to the member about that later, but I have only one minute left and a few other matters that I want to mention.

Irene Oldfather referred to redundancies at the Scottish Maritime Museum. I want to make it clear that those redundancies were due to the loss of the European structural fund training budget, which was worth £150,000. In 2001, the Executive provided £70,000 of emergency support, which was followed by a further £110,000 in December. That was in addition to £160,000 for three years from April 2001. The Executive has done its best to support that tourist attraction, which is in Irene Oldfather's constituency.

I have not had time to deal with all the points that have been raised but I would be happy to deal with them individually if members write to me. I notice that the SNP members are not paying any attention, so I presume that they have no points that they want to raise with us.

The implementation of the framework will lead to further improvements in marketing. We are developing methods of assessing progress. That is fundamental and seems to have been missed by some of the critics. The steering group that Mike Watson will chair will consider the way in which we monitor progress. That progress will be reported to the Parliament annually and members will be able to judge whether the framework for action has worked. The Executive believes that it will help to take forward tourism, which is a most important industry. Therefore, I ask members to support the motion and to reject the characteristically negative amendments of both Opposition parties.

I thank the minister for getting us back on schedule.