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NC500 welcomes Highland Council £1.5m investment in visitor management strategy after budget agreement; Public safety concerns on money-spinning Highland route flagged during coronavirus crisis brought issue to a head


By Hector MacKenzie

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Tom Campbell: 'The investment agreed by Highland Council today provides a more optimistic and positive outlook for the immediate and long-term future of our industry and the many Highland communities that rely on tourism for their livelihoods'.
Tom Campbell: 'The investment agreed by Highland Council today provides a more optimistic and positive outlook for the immediate and long-term future of our industry and the many Highland communities that rely on tourism for their livelihoods'.

North Coast 500 Ltd has welcomed Highland Council’s £1.5 million visitor management strategy announced today as part of the local authority’s 2021/22 to 2023/24 revenue budget.

The new Highland Visitor Management Strategy aims to help deal with the expected rise in tourists over the next year, as travel restrictions are lifted by the Scottish Government.

The long-term strategy is providing a range of investment opportunities in roads; parking and visitor management; public toilets; enhanced litter and waste collection services; and provision for motorhomes; and public transport.

The council says its strategy sets out a new approach which seeks to balance the current financial context with the drivers for economic growth and recovery from the pandemic. It will also help secure the medium-term financial sustainability of the local authority.

Tom Campbell, executive chairman of North Coast 500 Ltd, said:“We’re extremely grateful to our partners at Highland Council for agreeing this significant investment in the Highland Visitor Management Strategy and for their long-term vision for the economic growth and recovery of the region, which will rely heavily on income generated by tourism.

“The investment agreed by Highland Council today provides a more optimistic and positive outlook for the immediate and long-term future of our industry and the .

“It’s important that we work together to help each other through the challenges ahead. NC500 Ltd is continuing to work with Highland Council, VisitScotland and Highlands & Islands Enterprise during lockdown to help address public safety concerns and infrastructure investment surrounding the re-opening the North Highlands to visitors this summer and beyond.”

Governance for this important strategy will be overseen by the Council’s Recovery Board which will monitor and evaluate its progress. Three council committees will also be involved in the policy and implementation of actions, including the Economy and Infrastructure Committee; Communities and Place Committee and Tourism Committee.

For more information about the North Coast 500, visit www.northcoast500.com and follow on Facebook (www.facebook.com/northcoast500), Instagram (www.instagram.com/northcoast500) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/NorthCoast500) #NC500 #NorthCoast500.

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