Loch Lomond Study - Executive summary
Tourism in the Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs area shows certain features which differ from those of Scotland as a whole. It has a higher proportion of overseas holidaymakers and a lower proportion of Scottish holidaymakers; sightseeing and visiting the countryside are more popular types of holiday; a lower percentage of bednights are accounted for by hotel accommodation and a higher percentage by camping.
An estimated 0.5 million holidaymakers a year stay in the area, but the length of stay is usually short - half stay for only one night. The area is a popular destination for day trips, with as many as 0.75 million day visits in the course of a year. However, these day visitors have a low level of expenditure. A further 0.8 million visitors are estimated to stop for only a short time before travelling on to accommodation elsewhere.
A comparison with the Lake District reveals a strong contrast in terms of visitor numbers and bednights. Over a 5 month period the Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs area experienced 0.4 million trips and 1.5 million bednights, compared to the Cumbria figures of 1.8 million and 10.0 million respectively.
There is a marked difference in the provision of recreation and tourist-related facilities between Lake Windermere and Loch Lomond in relation to both quantity and quality.
Evidence suggests that there is no major problem in promoting Loch Lomond as such. It already attracts a large number of visitors, but they create little economic activity. This is due to the lack of appropriate facilities which would encourage longer stays in the area and attract a high level of day visitor expenditure.
Earlier studies in the area have tended to concentrate on the physical aspects and, although a large number of proposals have been put forward, no major investment has occurred. Existing trends in tourist activity, and evidence from a survey of businesses in the Loch Lomond area carried out for this study, indicate no major improvement in tourist activity is likely to be forthcoming without the creation of additional tourist facilities.
Given the objectives of increasing visitor numbers, length of stay and expenditure, target markets were identified as longer stay visitors, overseas visitors, day trippers and those pursuing water-based activities. If the existing level and composition of tourism and recreation are to be altered there needs to be a concerted effort to ensure Loch Lomond both attracts and maintains the visitor's interest. The best way to achieve this change is to promote a major development which would act as a magnet to the tourism market and a catalyst to related secondary developments. The location for such a development should become the focus for tourist activity in the area.
Large parts of the Loch Lomond area are ruled out as having development potential because of the severe physical constraints. There are a number of sites with potential for small-scale development, but for a major development, accessibility to the market is the key criterion. We consider, therefore, that the south west of the area offers the greatest opportunity for a large-scale development, particularly the land in, and in the vicinity of, Balloch. Fragmented development on the available land at Balloch should be strongly resisted.
If a major tourist development is to avoid the need for continuing financial support it will have to be part of an integrated scheme incorporating other elements which, are commercially more attractive. Given its setting and location, the most likely commercial element in a scheme in Balloch is housing. We recommend that the tourist-related development at the focus of the scheme should be a marina based complex providing boating facilities, restaurants and shops. Such a complex could easily be linked with other elements (housing, hotel, visitor centre, wet weather facilities) as well as the existing attractions in the area.
For a large-scale, integrated development to take place, there will need to be a co-ordinated approach by both private and public sectors. We see a clear commitment by the public authorities as being the key to overcoming existing constraints and enabling the realisation of Loch Lomond's development potential.