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The tourism industry is set to grow both in Scotland and internationally as people look to do more with their leisure time, seeking out exciting new pastimes for both relaxation and holidays. Activity tourism is an important and growing element of the domestic market in Scotland. It is the Scottish Government's and VisitScotland's ambition to grow tourism revenue by 50% by 2015. www.activitytourism.net/
Oatridge College and partners have pioneered the development of two new courses that allow people with an interest in managing these activities to start upon an education and training pathway that can lead from access level courses through to degree level studies.
So what is activity tourism? Activity tourism is when tourists get involved in some form of activity in either their leisure time or when they go on holiday. Many people make the assumption that this is only a rural pastime, however, it covers everything from historical tours to silver-smithing courses, from mountain biking to white water rafting, from horse riding to a mediation retreat, to paintballing. The important thing is that people are travelling to carry out a pursuit. They can do it in balloons, in canoes, in monastaries anywhere really !
The most popular activity for tourists in Scotland is walking but participation is growing in cycling, horse-riding, fishing, water sports, mountaineering and adventure-based adrenaline sports. The majority of these outdoor activities take place in the countryside, generating important economic and social benefits for local rural communities.
Opportunities exist to build on the growth trends of recent years while ensuring that, through careful management, planning and local involvement, that the role of the countryside as a prime location for activity tourism is safeguarded and enhanced.
Prospects for activity tourism are highly promising and forecasts suggest that the sector will continue to grow as interest in more active and healthy lifestyles increases, and outdoor pursuits become more fashionable and mainstream.
