Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector will press political parties on jobs, investment and the cost base facing businesses at a pre-election hustings during the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) Signature Conference 2026 at Edinburgh’s EICC on 9 and 10 March.
The hustings takes place on Tuesday, 10 March and will bring together MSPs from five parties to respond publicly to the industry’s priorities ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. It will be chaired by political journalist and commentator Brian Taylor, who will open with an overview of the election and party commitments before moderating the discussion.
Confirmed panellists are Kate Forbes MSP for the Scottish National Party, Daniel Johnson MSP for Scottish Labour, Murdo Fraser MSP for the Scottish Conservatives, Willie Rennie MSP for the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Graham Simpson MSP for Reform UK.
The session follows the STA’s industry manifesto, launched in October, which calls for action from the next Scottish Parliament on issues including business rates reform, long-term workforce and skills planning, improved transport and digital connectivity, and a stable policy framework to support investment and growth across Scotland’s regions.
Marc Crothall MBE, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said, “Anyone who works in Scottish tourism knows the last few years have been extremely tough. Businesses are juggling rising costs, unpredictable demand and constant pressure to do more with less, and many had hoped things would have stabilised by now. Instead, confidence remains lower than ever and expectations for the year ahead are bleak.”
He added, “Our own research shows most operators expect trading conditions to worsen, not improve, with day-to-day operating costs their biggest concern. Nearly half are delaying or cancelling investment, and around 15 per cent are preparing for redundancies.”
Crothall warned that a slowdown in investment would affect Scotland’s ability to compete for visitors. He said, “Tourism relies on continual investment and renewal. When that stalls, quality slips and Scotland’s competitiveness as a destination is put at risk. We are competing internationally with countries that have more progressive policy and taxation environments, which actively support investment and growth. If Scotland continues to lag on these fundamentals, it becomes harder to attract investment, harder to innovate, and harder to compete on a global stage.”
He said the election campaign would be a key moment for parties to set out their approach. “As we head into an election campaign, now is the time for the parties to put business, jobs and the economy at the top of the agenda. What businesses need most is a clear signal that government understands what is at stake and is prepared to address the pressures facing a sector that underpins jobs, communities and local economies across Scotland.”
The hustings is part of the wider STA Signature Conference programme, the flagship event of Scottish Tourism Month, which takes place each March. The two-day conference brings together economists, destination leaders, global travel platforms, operators, policymakers and thought leaders, with sessions covering business resilience, insurance and cyber security, destination marketing, leadership, innovation and the future visitor economy. It will also explore Scotland’s national tourism strategy, Outlook 2030, and its ambition ‘To be the world leader in 21st century tourism’.
