TOURIST FUND OPEN FOR COMMUNITY APPLICATIONS IN FIFE

Published date : 14 Nov 2019

MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Jenny Gilruth, is encouraging local community groups in Fife to apply for a share of £3 million funding aimed at helping local tourist sites meet the demands of growing visitor numbers.

A total of 31 projects across 10 local authorities and two national park authorities have already been offered grants worth nearly £6 million in previous two rounds of Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) awards and applications are now open for the third round.

The fund aims to help tourists’ attractions and surrounding communities deal with the impact of increased visitor numbers on the local infrastructure by helping with improvements such as parking areas, visitor facilities and recycling points.

Commenting after the fund’s application process opened, Jenny Gilruth MSP said:

“With the increasing popularity of the outstanding scenery that Scotland has to offer, the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund is a key component to ensuring our local community needs are met in the face of increasing visitors.

“Not only will the third round of funding help to build upon the pre-existing networks of facilities, it will also work to provide leverage for additional and focused investment, stimulate collaboration and support the transition of Scotland to a low carbon economy – one of the Scottish Government’s main goals.

“I would encourage any community groups in Fife to apply for funding from the scheme through their local authority so that visitors can continue to enjoy the Kingdom for years to come.”

The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Fiona Hyslop MSP, said:

“While we should be proud that Scotland’s breath taking natural scenery and rich historical sites attract so many visitors and help the local economy, we know that this success is often tempered by increased pressure on communities, services, transport and facilities – particularly in rural areas.

“The importance of a fund dedicated to helping deal with increasing demand can be seen by the level of interest in the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund since its creation in 2017 and the improvements it has been able to fund.

“That is why in September we announced that a further £3 million was being made available to invest in new projects in 2020-21.”

Application forms for a share of the third round of funding are available here: https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/funding/rural-tourism-infrastructure-fund

ENDS

Local Reporters