a process which would, in turn, support or create employment and income in the area. As on the labour market link, the survey evidence supports the view that this is a significant and substantial link. An almost identical proportion of the general population and the sampled business community (65%/66%) hold the view that Gaelic arts have a positive or very positive impact on the attractiveness of the area to tourists. Those in the business community supporting this proposition are much more likely to operate in the Western Isles (75% positive or very positive) than in Skye and Lochalsh (50% positive or very positive). These positive responses are also significantly higher amongst both businesses in the hotel and catering sector, and amongst the 17% of surveyed individuals who report their main economic activity is tourist related. The significant variable on this issue is age. Individuals aged 30 or under are much more likely to report positive or very positive impacts than others. The frequently occurring split in the sample between Gaelic speakers of any competence and non-speakers also occurs on this issue but the differences in perceptions between these two groups is less than occurs across the other main impact issues. As previously noted, the ways Gaelic artistic and cultural products and services influence tourism is both by raising awareness and appreciation of the area amongst potential visitors, mainly via Gaelic television and products such as CDs, poetry books etc, and by enhancing the quality of the tourist experience when the visit occurs, a process that relies heavily on the range of activities categorised as events’. There is no way of establishing the relative contribution ‘live of these various activities on the basis of the data available in this exercise.
a process which would, in turn, support or create employment and income in the area. As on the labour market link, the survey evidence supports the view that this is a significant and substantial link. An almost identical proportion of the general population and the sampled business community (65%/66%) hold the view that Gaelic arts have a positive or very positive impact on the attractiveness of the area to tourists. Those in the business community supporting this proposition are much more likely to operate in the Western Isles (75% positive or very positive) than in Skye and Lochalsh (50% positive or very positive). These positive responses are also significantly higher amongst both businesses in the hotel and catering sector, and amongst the 17% of surveyed individuals who report their main economic activity is tourist related. The significant variable on this issue is age. Individuals aged 30 or under are much more likely to report positive or very positive impacts than others. The frequently occurring split in the sample between Gaelic speakers of any competence and non-speakers also occurs on this issue but the differences in perceptions between these two groups is less than occurs across the other main impact issues. As previously noted, the ways Gaelic artistic and cultural products and services influence tourism is both by raising awareness and appreciation of the area amongst potential visitors, mainly via Gaelic television and products such as CDs, poetry books etc, and by enhancing the quality of the tourist experience when the visit occurs, a process that relies heavily on the range of activities categorised as ‘live events’. There is no way of establishing the relative contribution of these various activities on the basis of the data available in this exercise.
Original%20NGAP%20report.docx