Summer of sport proves costly for Badenoch and Strathspey
The Great British summer of sport took its toll on tourism business in Badenoch and Strathspey during the peak season, figures just published have revealed.
The Cairngorms Business Partnership has found that there was a significant downturn for many operators between July 1 and September 30 compared to the same period the previous year.
The organisation’s boss said that local businesses cited the major British sporting events as the main reason for the drop in visitors at what is traditionally the busiest time of the year.
The summer season is crucial for many to help tide them over the winter, particularly if there is a lack of snow for skiing, snowboarding and ice climbing.
A total of 121 business responded to the survey of businesses in the Cairngorms National Park, with 64 per cent of respondents based in the strath.
The latest CBP barometer report states: "Reversing the trend of increasing levels of business recorded in previous comparable quarters (albeit minimal in autumn last year), businesses indicated a marked reduction in the number of customers and level of turnover compared to a year previously. Just over half of the businesses stated that customer numbers and turnover decreased compared to the same period a year ago."
Accommodation providers saw lower average occupancies from July to September compared to recent years, but around a half registered high average occupancy of 70% or more.
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