STA CEO Marc Crothall MBE on Growth, Policy & the Visitor Levy | XP Hospitality Scotland

Marc Crothall MBE, Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, opens XP Hospitality Scotland with a look at where Scotland's tourism and hospitality sector stands right now: the national tourism strategy, the visitor levy debate, and the numbers behind an industry worth £11.4 billion in revenue and 290,000 jobs. He covers the STA's role lobbying government on behalf of the sector, the practical fallout from a newly elected Holyrood where half the politicians are new to tourism policy, and the ongoing argument over whether the visitor levy should be a flat fee or a percentage charge. There's also a clear-eyed look at international versus domestic visitor trends, why Edinburgh is now one of Europe's most expensive short-break destinations, and why tourism deserves to be treated as a long-term growth industry rather than an afterthought. Recorded live at XP Hospitality Scotland, part of Holidaymaker's XP Hospitality series bringing together operators, technology leaders and sector voices for honest, peer-led conversation about where hospitality is heading. Chapters 0:00 Introduction: the STA's mission for Scottish tourism 0:39 Co-chairing the Tourism & Hospitality Industry Leadership Group 1:08 The national tourism strategy framework 1:56 The numbers: £11.4bn revenue, 290,000 jobs 3:02 A new Holyrood and why this data matters 3:29 Self-catering, golf and whisky tourism value 4:17 Oasis at Celtic Park and hotel rates 4:32 The visitor levy: flat fee vs percentage 6:37 How Scotland has performed over the last six weeks 7:31 Airline routes and international connectivity 8:22 Looking ahead: international vs domestic markets 10:06 Shorter stays, higher expectations 11:15 Edinburgh vs other European cities on cost 13:39 Where Scotland stands: tax, workforce, ferries 15:51 Why tourism and hospitality matters beyond the money 17:41 The STA manifesto and asks for government 18:32 Scot-Hot 2027 and the STA national conference 19:49 Have your say: the STA's industry survey 21:33 Q&A More on the speakers from XP Hospitality Scotland: https://community.holidaymakerxp.co.u...