Stiff task for tourist boards

The national tourist boards of Scotland and Wales still have a considerable job to do to attract visitors, their annual reports revealed last week.

Both are suffering from the decline in domestic tourism that the growth in overseas tourism has been unable to offset.

In Wales, although trading has been difficult, there has been an overall growth in earnings from domestic visitors of 6%. In contrast, Scotland suffered a 6% fall in the value of tourism to just over £2b. Domestic tourism fell by 10%, while overseas tourism grew by 2%.

Derek Reid, chief executive of the Scottish Tourist Board (STB), called the results "desperately disappointing". He admitted that accommodation and service standards had to be raised if visitors were to be tempted to Scotland.

"I think the steps we've made are sufficient to stop the decline in domestic tourism. But I expect it will take three to five years to see a significant improvement," he said. Anecdotal evidence from bookings and tourist information centre enquiries about Scotland suggests that 1995 will show some growth.

In Wales, the tourist board is greeting signs of growth in overall earnings with cautious optimism. Figures were boosted by strong growth in the short break market, which helped counteract the decline in long holidays.

Data from the United Kingdom Tourism Survey shows the Welsh short breaks market generated an increase in expenditure of about 28%.

There was also growth in the business and conference sector and hotel occupancy showed a small increase over 1993.

But Paul Loveluck, chief executive of the Wales Tourist Board, has not given up on the long holiday market. "It's difficult to stimulate it in a period where people's disposable income is being squeezed so much. But I don't think people's tastes have changed so much that it will never grow again."

• The English Tourist Board will use tomorrow's launch of its annual report to announce a bid for £25m from the Millenium Fund for a coastal initiative for England, Scotland and Wales, capitalising on Britain's island heritage.

The report will show that tourism visits in England by UK residents rose 24% to 90 million, with expenditure rising 21% to £11.6b. Nights spent on holiday were up 14% to 329 million.