Tourism in public policy in Scotland

It is apparent that tourism in Scotland is a complex aspect of public administration. There is a great deal of public sector involvement at both national
and local level. However, it is questionable whether the current configuration of administrative responsibilities as represented in the diagram is an ideal one in terms of delivering a purposeful and comprehensive strategy for Scottish tourism. In this article we address ourselves to three major concerns. First, we examine the current structure of public authority involvement in Scottish tourism. The
relevant bodies essentially fall into two categories, those implementing tourism
policy and those implementing heritage and leisure policies. Secondly, based on
some current proposals for reform, we outline a modified set of structures. Thirdly, we highlight some of the fundamental questions to which government
ought to address itself before effecting any realignment and consolidation of
activity.