The here and now
Sustainable Tourism
Thoughts for the future
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their unique selling point;
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where and what type of tourist accommodation is needed and likely to be in demand (e.g. there should be a range of places for visitors to stay that meet a range of needs in terms of the type of accommodation available, as well as affordability);
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how a coordinated approach to transport can be achieved, enabling people to transfer easily between services which will in turn encourage tourists to leave their car behind. Active travel is also extremely important and joined up thinking to promote active travel networks that are well connected to the wider public transport network can be important for encouraging people to access the outdoors;
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with the rise of overnight stays in Scotland, local authorities should build on this success and think about how to encourage people to stay longer, to engage with local communities and make the most of their trips in their area; and
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to ensure places align with local community priorities, while also attracting and appealing to tourists, local authorities should think about the wider facilities that are available to tourists – because providing for tourists is wider than developing a single tourist attraction. Local authorities should therefore think about what facilities are needed (e.g. restaurants, shops, leisure and cultural facilities) and how and where to deliver these to compliment tourist related development and growth.
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identify suitable locations for tourism development, maximising synergies with existing tourist attractions and unlocking new tourism opportunities through a co-ordinated approach to sustainable transport options, including active travel networks.
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integrate developments within their surroundings (both in terms of design and layout) in a way that avoids adverse impacts to neighbours, while ensuring that tourist related development can operate effectively and are not compromised;
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promote access to and the conservation of cultural heritage, including historical sites. This can include sensitive restoration projects, or indeed the diversification of rural estates through tourism related development;
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encourage access to the outdoors and natural resources, while protecting the natural environment, wildlife and resources;
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maximise the socio-economic benefits of tourism – this will include encouraging opportunities for new jobs and the creation of attractive/ useable places for communities who live in tourist destinations;
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encourage tourism related development that is inclusive, accessible and appeals to a range of needs (e.g. solo travellers, families etc); and
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support tourism related development which encourages year-round tourism and reduces the impacts of seasonality.
How can we help?
- Site promotion - We can assist those in the tourism industry make representations to their local planning authority to achieve better outcomes for the sector through emerging Local Development Plans.
- Local Development Plan evidence – We can assist local authorities develop their evidence base and develop appropriate, robust tourism policies.
- Planning applications and appeals - From project inception to completion, we provide effective leadership to navigate through the planning application and appeals processes, combining our technical know-how with local knowledge and contacts.
- Environmental Impact Assessments – We can prepare EIA Screening and Scoping requests to local authorities, as well as the coordinate EIA Reports/ Environmental Assessments.
- Community consultation – We offer the full range of digital, virtual and more traditional forms of consultation, all of which are integrated with our planning services.
- Lichfields products – We have a number of specially developed tools to help tackle specific planning and development challenges. This includes: