Tourism to 'go green'

Officials for the Scottish tourism industry have said that the sector must pay greater attention to green issues.

The Scottish Tourism Forum (STF) has called for a reduction in the number of short-haul flights that service the country's airports and has warned that visitor numbers could fall if areas of beauty are littered with electricity pylons and wind farms, reports the Herald.

The forum proposes the introduction of tourism-fragile zones, which would prohibit the installation of wind farms in the area as well as ensure that power lines ran along the seabed rather than overhead.

Alan Rankin, STF's chief executive, told the newspaper: "Scotland is presenting itself as a green destination, and more and more consumers are demanding their destination is unspoiled and natural.

"Short-term renewable fixes will harm long-term tourism growth."

He added that in the coming years he would like to see more European visitors reach Scotland by other modes of transport than planes.

There have also been calls for more tourists to use public transport rather than hiring cars.

Official figures state that tourism provided £4.2 billion to the Scottish economy last year.