Place Objectives
C5. Visitors to the National Park
Visitors to the National Park have increased from 1.3m to 2.1m since the National Park was established. Whilst this has provided a welcome boost to the local economy, it has increased pressure on infrastructure, services and the environment during peak periods, particularly since the boom in staycations post-pandemic. The availability of housing for people working in the National Park is stretched and this is impacting on the potential of businesses to meet customer demands and provide high-quality services.
Visitors will remain an essential part of the economy of the National Park. Our ambition is to see the benefits of the visitor economy being realised more widely across the National Park and pressures eased, with more focus on the off-peak season.
Key Objectives and targets
Objective
Work to stabilise visitor numbers in the peak season, focusing growth on quieter months and on those areas that have the infrastructure and capacity to accommodate additional visitors.
Target
Growth in visitor numbers is concentrated at off-peak times of year and in areas with capacity.
Indicator
- Length of visitor stays increase.
- Visitor satisfaction levels remain high.
Actions By 2027
- Review, update and deliver the Cairngorms Tourism Action Plan to promote areas with geographic and / or seasonal capacity in a sustainable manner.
- Develop a Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Plan to provide high-quality infrastructure at key visitor hotspots and for key sectors (eg camping and motorhomes).
- Collect and share high quality data on visitor numbers, behaviour, perceptions and aspirations.
Partners
Cairngorms Tourism Partnership.
Facts
0
%
of new housing will be for social rental, mid-market rental or other affordable categories by 2030
0
%