Tourism awards cancelled as industry focuses on recovery
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The Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards have been cancelled for 2020 as the industry focuses on its recovery from the impact of Covid-19.
With some businesses facing a battle to survive organisers of the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards say it felt inappropriate to go ahead this year.
Tourism businesses are facing a number of difficulties with restrictions on travel still in place and restaurants and bars unable to open for the foreseeable future.
The full awards programme for 2020/21 – including the national Scottish Thistle Awards – has also been cancelled, with all entries now suspended.
Laurence Young, chairman of the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards (HITA), said: “We support colleagues across Scottish tourism in taking the decision to cancel our regional and national awards. A time for celebration will return, but it is not now.”
Winners of HITA usually qualify for the final of the Scottish Thistles, which are Scotland’s premier awards for the tourism industry, recognising businesses, events and individuals for their valuable contribution to the sector. They were due to take place in March 2021.
The decision to cancel HITA, which was due to be held in November, has been taken in partnership with VisitScotland, which organises the Scottish Thistle Awards.
Rebecca Brooks, VisitScotland board member and chairwoman of the Scottish Thistle Awards industry panel, said: “In recognising the extreme challenge facing our industry, we want to support our industry during this unprecedented time and have taken the difficult decision to cancel the programme of activity for the Scottish Thistle Awards for this year, to allow industry to focus on the immediate priorities we are facing during these difficult times.
“We know that the tourism industry is a resilient one and we are confident that we will be able to come together to celebrate the industry’s achievements and successes in the future once again, when we are able to do so.”
HITA said the tourism industry which would emerge at the end of 2020 would look very different and that it was vital that industry now focused on survival, adaptation and long-term recovery.
