
Overview
Nature-based tourism is estimated to be worth £1.4bn (Scottish Natural Heritage, 2010) to the Scottish economy. Year after year, our visitors tell us that our scenery and landscape are the main reasons for visiting, and we are seeing an increasing number of visitors enjoying the many different outdoor activities available, such as walking, cycling, mountain biking, sailing, wildlife watching, fishing and stalking, to name but a few.
Tourism Scotland 2020 identified nature and activities as a key asset for Scottish tourism and to develop this further, the leading tourism industry groups involved in this sector came together under the Outdoor Tourism Group.
The group agreed not to publish a plan for the sector due to the number of specific activity-related plans and strategies already in existence.
Outdoor Tourism Group
The Outdoor Tourism Group comprises the main outdoor activity tourism-related industry groups together with the key public sector agencies. The purpose of the group is to provide a voice for the sector in relation to the delivery of the national tourism strategies and their own sectoral plans.
If you would like to find out more about the group and the issues it discusses, notes from the meetings are available below.
- OTG Meeting: 10 November 2015
- OTG Meeting: 6 May 2015
- OTG Meeting: 13 January 2015
- OTG Meeting: 2 September 2014
- OTG Meeting: 22 May 2014
A workshop was held in November 2015 and since then the group has not met.
Outdoor Tourism Group Organisations

British Marine Scotland
Aileen Monk

Cycle Tourism Forum
Mike Dennison

Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland
Graeme Mclean

Go Rural
Caroline Miller

Sail Scotland
Daniel Steel

Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group
Andrew Grainger
Sector Specific Strategies and Plans:
- Awakening the Giant, Marine Tourism Strategy (published Mar 2015)
- Scottish Golf Tourism Development Strategy 2013-2020 (published Sept 2013)
- Country Sports Tourism Strategy (in development)








