National events strategy 2024 to 2035: island communities impact assessment

1.6 Step Five – Preparing Your Icia

Questions addressed:

• Assess the extent to which you consider that the policy, strategy or service can be developed or delivered in such a manner as to improve or mitigate, for island communities, the outcomes resulting from it.
• Consider alternative delivery mechanisms and whether further consultation is required.
• Describe how these alternative delivery mechanisms will improve or mitigate outcomes for island communities.
• Identify resources required to improve or mitigate outcomes for island Communities

The strategy review process has provided significant opportunities to further develop the broad approach which helps ensure that Scotland’s events sector (including its islands) can capitalise on their unique assets to attract a wide range of cultural, sporting and other events and to fully harness the many benefits they bring.

Findings from this Island Community Impact Assessment featured in the public consultation and subsequent drafting of the refreshed National Events Strategy, the latter of which has been drafted by VisitScotland with input from a range of stakeholders. As the joint Scottish Government / VisitScotland project team develops implementation plans for the refreshed strategy they will continue to consider the future opportunities/challenges to harness the considerable potential of Scotland’s islands as event destinations and what sort/scale of event provides the best fit. Agreed implementation plans are being developed and will be finalised following the publication of the National Events Strategy.

Event opportunities identified for the islands in the National Events Strategy 2024-2035 will be considered further throughout the lifespan of the strategy. Depending on the nature and scale of an event different parts of the refreshed strategy will have different uses when looking to improve or mitigate outcomes for island communities.