Tourism businesses in Dumfries and Galloway, and South and East Ayrshire, are invited to complete a short online survey to share their views on the prospective Galloway National Park.
This is a relatively quick initial survey, with the deadline for completion 9 am, Monday 4th November 2024. It aims to gauge the views of visitor economy businesses prior to the formal NatureScot consultation process starting w/c 4th November.
The results of this initial Tourism Survey will be shared with NatureScot, and so will feed into their ultimate recommendations for the Scottish Government, but it is important that Tourism businesses also take part in the formal NatureScot consultation after the 4th November.
Learn more:
Galloway National Park Information Hub
NatureScot consultation details
This initial Tourism Survey is not only for SSDA members, it is open to all tourism businesses in D&G, South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire, and we are working with VisitScotland, the Biosphere, ASVA, ASSC, STA, Chambers of Commerce, Go Rural, Scoto, all three Councils, and other partners to help get this message out.
All tourism businesses in the three local authorities are welcome to complete the survey. In the analysis of the data, postcodes will be used to aggregate the views of businesses both inside and outside the proposed area of the park (once this is known).
It is therefore important that those completing the survey give their business name and postcode, as their submissions cannot be validated, aggregated and included without these.
The SSDA will make the results of this survey publicly available in November.
As it does every six months, through late October and November the SSDA is hosting 14 Locally Led Destination Development meetings across the South of Scotland, bringing together and supporting local visitor economy businesses. Six of these meetings, which are in/near the proposed National Park area, will have a specific focus on the National Park, with NatureScot in attendance, and local businesses able to share their views. These six meetings are:
- Thornhill (Nithsdale): 29th Oct, 10am [In person]
- Stranraer (Stranraer & the Rhins of Galloway): 13th Nov, 2pm [In person]
- Whithorn (The Machars): 14th Nov, 9:30am [In person]
- Dumfries: 20th Nov, 10am [In person]
- Heart of Galloway: 21st Nov, 10am [Online]
- The Solway Firth: 26th Nov, 10am [Online]