2. To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support the tourism sector in response to reports that TUI will reduce its flights to Aberdeen airport. (S5O-05099)

Through the Scottish tourism emergency response group, the Scottish Government is working with enterprise agencies, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, VisitScotland and the Scottish Tourism Alliance to develop a five-year recovery plan for the tourism sector in Scotland.

Short-term measures have already been introduced, in the form of £129 million in business support. We expect to announce further measures shortly.

TUI’s decision to reduce flights to Aberdeen airport, which was reported last month, impacts on the outbound market and Scottish tourists travelling abroad rather than on the domestic market. Nevertheless, we recognise the impact that it will have on travel agents and airport employees. We will continue to consider what further support could be made available.

I thank the Cabinet secretary for that answer, but we need to be clear. TUI announced that it is axing more than half its flights to Aberdeen specifically due to a lack of clarity from the Scottish Government. As the cabinet secretary points out, Aberdeen airport reports that that will inevitably lead to significant direct job losses unless more support is given to safeguard routes. What, precisely, is the Scottish Government doing to support Aberdeen airport and the north-east tourism sector? Does that include a north-east-specific and industry-specific recovery plan?

The member is asking about the north-east. I have engaged with tourism interests in the north-east from the outset, and quite rightly so. That included a call with VisitAberdeenshire’s chief executive, Chris Foy, just this week, and I have had numerous engagements with that agency, which has informed me about the situation in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

I understand that the BBC has reported that TUI hopes to continue to take customers on summer holidays from Aberdeen to locations in Turkey and to Corfu and Palma.

We require to do this, and I hope that the Tories understand it. We must maintain measures to manage the risk of importation of the virus from areas of high prevalence, and that includes travel restrictions and managed isolation. Have we not learned the risks of importing the virus? We cannot discount or ignore those risks. As tourism Minister, I am keener than anybody else in the chamber to see restart, but we have to be sensible about it and to listen to the evidence.