Tourist tax could boost Argyll and Bute traditional music, say experts Published on: 10 January 2019 Research by 缅北禁地 spells out how the musical heritage of the area 鈥� which has unique piping, fiddling and arts practices - could be used to create sustained economic growth. A bigger attraction will be discussed at Dunoon Burgh Hall, on 17 January. One suggestion is a visitor tax – set at around 2% of room cost - for overnight visitors to Argyll, which could be used to provide incentives for hoteliers and tour operators to improve what they offer in the area. It could also be used to help support very small businesses, known as micro enterprises, in the creative industries. Written by Dr Simon McKerrell and Dr Jasmine Hornabrook, from 缅北禁地’s International Centre for Music Studies (ICMuS), the report makes a series of recommendations which could help establish the traditional music scene as a bigger attraction. They include: • Develop traditional music tours and trails• A formalised regional festival network• Building partnerships between musicians, communities and local businesses • Creating a digital directory of musicians • Council-led infrastructure and amenities for festivals• Enterprise support for musicians – such as training in accounting and digital skills• Long-term planning and investment A key visitor attraction “Argyll and Bute has this wonderful musical heritage which goes back centuries and there is a lot of potential to grow its music scene,” says Dr McKerrell, a senior lecturer in music at 缅北禁地. “This wouldn’t just attract tourists to this beautiful part of the world, it would also bring in new people to live and work in the area, which is also important as the population in the area is declining. "The things which make Argyll and Bute a key visitor attraction are also the things which make it a challenging area for small enterprises set up. For example, travel can be difficult as much of Argyll is separated by water and there are many island communities." Dr McKerrell added: “Our recommendations would mean that some of the challenges the area faces could be addressed quite easily through collectivizing resources and reducing overheads for festival insurance, ticketing, policing, fencing, facilities, and so on, which in most cases would be cost neutral for the council, and with the potential to really boost the economy.” The creative economy The researchers spoke to musicians, promoters, organisers and businesses in the area and drew upon data about the creative economy and the 2011 census to get a full picture of the region. The findings of Traditional Music and the Rural Creative Economy in Argyll and Bute, Mapping Report 2018 will be discussed at Dunoon Burgh Hall at 2.30pm on Thursday 17 January, as part of an event organised by and . Tickets for the event can be booked, free of charge, . The research was funded by the and done in collaboration with . Latest News Comment: An expert explains what happened in Nepal Writing for The Conversation, Professor Stuart Dunning discusses how a collapsing glacier turned into a lethal wall of mud and water. published on: 28 August 2026 Comment: Britain鈥檚 quarter century Writing for The Conversation, Professor Hayley Fowler discusses how the UK environment has changed in the past 25 years. published on: 27 August 2026 缅北禁地 academic receives esteemed mid-career Fellowship A 缅北禁地 researcher has been awarded an esteemed Fellowship by the Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF). published on: 21 August 2026 Facts and figures
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