Calls for Isle of Skye tourism funding as visitor numbers surge

Fresh calls have been made for more tourism funding for the Isle of Skye after new figures showed a rise in visitor numbers, the Press and Journal reports.

Business group SkyeConnect says the number of vehicles crossing the Skye Bridge rose by 11 per cent last year between April and September.

The number of vehicles heading to the island during peak season last year increased by more than 50,000 to 496,753.

In August alone, there were 229,000 crossings, with some days seeing the number of vehicle movements matching Skye’s population of over 13,000.

SkyeConnect says the increases demonstrate the need for effective destination management and investment in infrastructure to protect the island.

Gary Curley, the group’s executive chair, said: “This data highlights Skye’s ever-growing appeal.

“Alarmingly, there is no long-term destination plan or tourism strategy for Scotland’s second most popular destination due to lack of resources.

“This needs to change urgently.”

Island councillor John Finlayson said: “While these figures are encouraging for the tourism industry and the economy of Skye, they also highlight the continued need for ongoing investment in both destination management and infrastructure projects which clearly are also more difficult to fund in the current challenging economic climate.”

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