COUNTRY SPORTS tourism, at present worth about £200 million a year to Scotland’s rural economy, has the capability for significant growth and increased employment if it is developed efficiently.

That is the clear message from the Country Sports Tourism Group, which was launched with the aim of realising the full potential of country sports tourism in Scotland.

The members of the consortium include the Association of Deer Management Groups, the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association, the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards, the British Association of Shooting and Conservation and the Scottish Countryside Alliance, along with VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The group maintains that potential visitors are being attracted by other countries which promote their field sports aggressively, and says that income from UK and overseas visitors not only sustains the livelihood of estate workers and benefits hotels, guesthouses and shops, but also has the capability to increase employment in Scottish rural communities.

The partners commissioned a market research study last year and it surveyed the attitudes of present, past and potential visitors, along with in-depth interviews with estates and agents in the UK and overseas.

Its findings, just published, have highlighted a number of areas for action, including the need for the quality of the product to be raised—both in terms of service, accommodation and food and the sport itself—to offer value for money.

More flexibility is also required, including diversification of sports and packaging of trips to include non-sporting activities, while co-operation between the country sports providers and associated services is also vital to success.

The report also emphasises the need to train front-line people, including ghillies, keepers and stalkers, to ensure that the highest standards are offered to the consumer, and called for improvements in communication and information to overcome a lack of knowledge about country sports opportunities.

The group will be recruiting a dedicated project manager to implement the recommendations in the report.