Ewing Backs Council-Led Tourism Push in Ochil and South Perthshire
Annabelle Ewing has spent her parliamentary career amplifying the voice of Scotland's local authorities in Westminster, and nowhere is that advocacy more visible than in her work supporting council-led tourism promotion. From rural gateways like Auchterarder and Crieff to the historic heart of Stirling, Ewing argues that visitor economies thrive when councils are empowered rather than sidelined by central government.
Her approach draws on years of legal practice and constituency work, where she learned that tourism success depends on local knowledge as much as national branding. In recent months she has written to ministers, hosted roundtables with Perth and Kinross Council leaders, and pushed for adjustments to funding formulas that often penalise smaller rural authorities in favour of metropolitan boroughs.
Australian readers familiar with the federal-state tourism dynamic will recognise the parallels. Sydney's Waverley Council and Brisbane City Hall operate with autonomy that mirrors what Ewing is advocating for north of the border, and both systems grapple with how to balance national campaigns, such as Tourism Australia's, with the granular work of streetscape improvements, walking trail maintenance, and event permitting that happens at the municipal level.
Direct Engagement with Perth and Kinross Leadership
Ewing meets quarterly with Perth and Kinross Council's enterprise and infrastructure team to identify bottlenecks in tourism delivery. Her focus is practical: speeding up signage approvals along the A9, coordinating with VisitScotland on regional itineraries, and ensuring that family-run bed-and-breakfasts are not crowded out by large platform fees.
She has also pressed the council to publish open data on visitor footfall around Pitlochry and Blairgowrie, allowing small operators to adjust staffing during peak seasons. The transparency push mirrors initiatives undertaken by Hobart's city council, which releases monthly tourism dashboards so that MONA-area cafés and tour operators can plan with real numbers rather than guesswork.
Securing Westminster Funding for Visitor Infrastructure
In three different debates on the Economy (Devolved Policy) Order, Ewing has urged the UK Treasury to release additional ring-fenced capital for council-managed visitor assets. Her argument is that without predictable funding streams, local tourism managers cannot plan multi-year marketing or undertake heritage restoration projects that take years to deliver a return.
Cairns Regional Council in Queensland faces a comparable funding squeeze, relying heavily on state tourism levies and federal grants to keep the reef precinct competitive. Ewing's model proposes a multi-year settlement similar to those negotiated between the Australian government and Indigenous ranger programs protecting Uluru-Kata Tjuta.
Promoting Heritage Anchors and Natural Assets
Castle Campbell, the River Tay, and the Ochil Hills are not just scenic backdrops but economic engines for the region. Ewing has championed targeted promotion of these anchors, suggesting that Perth and Kinross collaborate with Clackmannanshire Council on a combined heritage trail linking Castle Campbell with the historic burgh of Alloa.
The proposal echoes what Melbourne City Council has done with its laneway heritage walks, where signage, audio tours, and council-funded lighting have transformed underused backstreets into high-value visitor corridors. Ewing believes a similar low-capital, high-creativity approach can unlock dormant potential across her constituency.
Supporting Community-Led Festivals and Events
Local festivals like the Crieff Scone and Perth Show are central to off-season tourism. Ewing has lobbied for a simplified council grants process, arguing that current reporting requirements deter volunteer organisers from applying. She favours a two-tier system with lighter-touch reporting for events under £5,000.
Brisbane's council festival framework offers a useful template, where the Valley Fiesta and Paniyiri Greek Festival receive streamlined approvals and coordinated marketing support. Ewing has cited this model in her correspondence with Perth and Kinross officials, suggesting a pilot scheme ahead of the 2026 tourism season.
| Initiative Area | Ewing's Position | Perth and Kinross Current Practice | Australian Parallel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding Streams | Multi-year ring-fenced Westminster allocation | Annual competitive bidding | Cairns Regional Council reef funding model |
| Heritage Promotion | Joint cross-boundary trail | Single-authority heritage listings | Melbourne laneway heritage walks |
| Festival Grants | Two-tier reporting system | Single uniform application | Brisbane festival framework |
| Digital Support | Council-funded digital champions | Ad-hoc business support | Inner West Council digital outreach |
| Sustainability | Electric visitor transport, active travel | Limited EV infrastructure | ACT cultural shuttle network |
Digital Connectivity and Rural Marketing Capacity
Digital marketing is no longer optional for tourism operators, yet many rural businesses lack the time or skills to maintain a presence online. Ewing has backed proposals for council-funded digital champions who would offer free one-to-one support to guesthouses and activity providers across the constituency. The role would mirror the digital outreach officers employed by Sydney's Inner West Council to help small retailers reach new audiences.
She has also called for improved mobile coverage along the A823 and A822 corridors, recognising that visitors increasingly rely on real-time information to navigate rural Scotland.
Cross-Boundary Collaboration Across the Ochil Ridge
Tourism rarely respects council boundaries, and Ewing has been vocal about the need for joint working between Perth and Kinross, Clackmannanshire, and Fife. She recently convened a meeting of the three councils' tourism leads to discuss a shared marketing brand for the eastern Ochil corridor.
Comparable regional collaboration is underway in Australia through bodies such as Destination NSW and the Perth Region Tourism Organisation, which pool council resources to compete for international visitors. Ewing believes Scottish councils should adopt similar pooled marketing vehicles to punch above their weight.
Sustainability and the Road to Net-Zero Tourism
Finally, Ewing insists that tourism growth must align with Scotland's net-zero ambitions. She has asked the council to review its fleet of visitor transport vehicles and to prioritise active travel infrastructure such as the Glen Devon cycle path extension. Her stance aligns with the Australian Capital Territory's push for electric shuttle services connecting Canberra's cultural institutions, and with Western Australia's pledge to phase out single-use plastics at major visitor sites by 2026.
Stand With Ewing This Campaign Season
If you share Ewing's vision of council-empowered tourism, you can support her work by volunteering with the Ochil and South Perthshire SNP campaign, donating through the official site, or signing up for the campaign newsletter. Register to vote ahead of the next general election, attend the next community surgery in Crieff, or simply spread the word about the constituency's visitor offering. Every door knocked and every conversation matters when it comes to securing a stronger voice for Perth and Kinross in Westminster.