Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with tourism bodies on the effectiveness of marketing historic towns to domestic visitors, including Lanark.

Tourism is a devolved matter in Scotland, and responsibility for determining which Scottish destinations are marketed domestically rests with VisitScotland.

DCMS engages regularly with national tourism bodies and cross-nation stakeholders to support the sector and share best practice and I was delighted to meet with Visit Scotland in Glasgow around the Commonwealth Games this summer. Within England, DCMS works closely with VisitEngland to encourage domestic tourism and highlight historic and cultural locations. Engagement across the wider sector focuses on supporting regional growth, encouraging overnight stays, and promoting the diversity of historic towns and destinations.