LUC Director of Planning Nick James was interviewed last week about our work on Scotland’s first national survey of marine recreation and tourism around the coast.
The survey, which LUC carried out in 2015, was commissioned by Marine Scotland, a Directorate of the Scottish Government with the aim of filling the data gaps identified by the National Marine Plan. The work was managed by the Firth of Clyde Forum and part funded by The Crown Estate and the Scottish Coastal Forum.
The results, which provide new insights to where different recreation activities take place, have been described as ‘gold dust’, providing an evidence base which other countries do not currently enjoy. The work also estimated that spending on marine recreation and tourism amounts to a remarkable £3.7 billion per annum – highlighting the significant economic contribution of the sector.