YOUR VIEWS: Visitor tax would be another big blow for tourism

Please ask Nicky Marr to do her research better before spouting forth on how good a tourist tax will be for the people of Scotland.

The Scottish proposals differ in one very big way from tourist taxes within the EU. The Scottish tourist tax will be in addition to VAT where applicable, whereas in 25 EU countries a discounted VAT is applied to hotel and guesthouse accommodation.

I can send her the EU website link if she doesn’t believe me. Thus, paying a few extra Euros in a tourism tax seems very fair.

However, as proposed by the Scottish Government, the visitor levy will be yet another tax on top of our overly taxed economy, and remember we will all have to pay this ourselves as and when we holiday or take a break in Scotland.

This visitor levy comes on top of the farcical mess that the licensing of short-term lets has become.

The B&B and guesthouse industry have been explaining to the Scottish Government for years that the short-term let licensing concept is deeply flawed and frankly not fit for purpose – but no-one in Government wants to listen.

These small businesses are disproportionately being levied with extra costs in licence fees and meeting the local authority bureaucratic demands which are over and above the basic licence requirements, whilst larger accommodation providers (so-called hotels) are excluded from the need to be licensed.

The result – large numbers of B&B, guesthouse and self-catering owners are just closing their businesses.

This will have a huge negative impact on the tourism economy, especially in the Highlands.

Many business owners will sell up and convert to private residences, but this will not ease the problem of affordable accommodation, as most of these premises will become second homes, which will accelerate the hollowing out of local communities.

Consequently, the licensing of short-term lets will produce the opposite of the declared aims of the Scottish Government in introducing the licensing scheme and will in addition inflict significant damage to the Scottish economy.

So what is England and the EU doing on this issue? England is consulting on a simple registration scheme and the EU policy is to introduce simple registration schemes.

This is exactly what the industry has been telling the Scottish Government for years.

What is the response our First Minister gave to a recent detailed letter to him from the Chairman of the Scottish B&B Association pointing out all the flaws in the legislation and its implementation?

He said on TV that we believe it (STL licensing) is the right thing to do. How dim-witted of him!

Gordon Bulloch

The Dulaig

Grantown.

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Thank you from Lynemore care home team

On behalf of the team at Lynemore Care Home, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the many relatives and friends who have expressed their support for us in recent days.

We have been touched – but not surprised – by their generosity of spirit. Caring for the well-being of 40 extraordinary individuals at Lynemore is a responsibility we shoulder with absolute dedication.

Day in, day out, our team works tirelessly to ensure that our residents enjoy the best possible quality of life.

The newly published Care Inspectorate report is testament to the quality of care they provide.

This comprehensive report paints a picture of a highly committed team of professionals who work as one to provide care with compassion, dignity and respect.

Our environment is one that promotes independence and empowers residents to get the most out of life.

We are proud that the Care Inspectorate has recognised those qualities.

But we are not complacent; we continuously strive for improvement, and I am determined that we can and will raise the bar higher.

We have the privilege of caring for older people in Grantown. The community can rest assured that their loved ones are in capable and caring hands.

Shirley Sutherland

Manager of Lynemore Care Home

Grantown.

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Recalling battles with Kingussie shinty great Donnie Grant

Re the death of Kingussie’s shinty legend Donnie Grant. Games against –many. Bruises received –many. Drams together – many. Regrets of playing against him – none.

Ron Fraser

Glenurquhart.

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One hundred green bottles in Grantown...

There are 100 green bottles lying on the ground.

There are 100 green bottles lying on the ground,

And if Highland Council don’t send someone round,

They’ll be 100 more bottles lying on the ground.

They’ll be 3000 motorcycles coming into town.

They’ll be 3000 motorcycles coming into town,

And if Highland Council don’t send someone round,

They’ll be 3000 more bottles lying on the ground.

There’s hundreds of barbecues planned for Grantown town.

There’s hundreds of barbecues planned for Grantown town,

And if Highland Council don’t send someone round,

There’ll be hundreds more bottles lying on the ground.

Thousands of tourists will see this ghastly mound.

Thousands of tourists will see this ghastly mound,

And if Highland Council don’t send someone round

They’ll tell another thousand people exactly what they found.

Alick Morrison

Address supplied.

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Everyone should pay towards Cairngorm Mountain car park

I see Susan Smith`s comments in last week’s paper on the cost (£750,000) of the parking improvements at the ski slope car park under explanation that her plan is to recoup these costs from April to October visitors.

I have no issue with the costs but why is parking free from November to March so that I as a summer visitor am left paying for the improved amenity to be enjoyed by the skiers and other winter visitors.

The salt in the wound is the time it took me (20 plus minutes!) in a queue of cars to exit the car park since the barrier system, pay on exit, is not fit for purpose.

In fairness everyone should pay and the current system if replaced by a ticket drawn on entry and paid for on exit at machines at the base station would allow efficient exit even if the ski season was in full swing.

Summer and winter visitors would then contribute equally provided the barrier system was changed to avoid a riot by tired skiers on their way out waiting interminably for the current tech to work

Anthony Ireland

Milverton Road

Glasgow.

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Big headline news...?

Bikers objecting to paying to park at Cairngorm Mountain is not front page news.

A couple of paragraphs on inside pages perhaps, but surely there are more important things deserving front page headlines.

The modest parking charge applies to all but only TITG riders were getting a sizeable discount to use the funicular. Overall, a net saving for them.

So, come on Strathy... focus and perspective please.

John Mackay

Macbean Road

Kincraig.

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Such repetition does not blow away facts on CO2 emissions

Charles Wardrop (Strathy letters, August 23) again claims without evidence that wind turbines are ‘not in the least green’ because of CO2 released in their manufacture, installation and maintenance.

This repeated his claim in the Strathy of April 27. However, my Strathy letter (May 4) showed that was contrary to evidence from the US Department of Energy.

Since then it reported in ‘How Wind Can Help Us Breathe Easier’ about lifecycle costs of energy generation, from plant manufacture to decommissioning: “Wind energy produces around 11 grams of C02 per kilowatt-hour (g Co2/kWh) of electricity generated, compared with … roughly 465gCo2/kWh for natural gas”. From that US research wind energy has a carbon footprint of just two per cent of natural gas energy.

Research ‘The Race to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Wind Energy’, by the ORE Catapult set up by the UK Government, found carbon emissions from offshore wind turbines’ full life cycle is less than 2.5% of life cycle emissions from natural gas generated electricity.

Opinions do not ascend through unsupported repetition into facts. Repetition in the face of contrary evidence suggests misinformation, I trust not deliberate, of the sort that Roy Turnbull accused Mr Wardrop of in his Strathy letter of June 29.

So please, Mr Wardrop, support your claims with reputable evidence that at least challenges the contrary evidence.

Dermot Williamson

Kincraig.

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