By Kristy Dorsey

Edinburgh’s oldest walking tour business is resuming limited operations today, though the future for guides and Scotland’s wider tourism industry remains highly uncertain.

Family-run Mercat Tours was due to celebrate its 35th anniversary on July 1, but has been forced to postpone its usual commemorative events until October. It shut down its operations on March 17 – a week before lockdown officially began – with all 76 employees placed on furlough as soon as that government support programme became available.

Tours are resuming at about 15 per cent of Mercat’s normal capacity for this time of year, with eight tours per day of no more than eight customers. That is down from the usual maximum group size of 30 people.

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To ensure social distancing and restrict the spread of the coronavirus, the company is also limiting itself to outdoor tours, and is deploying the portable wireless Tourtalk system to ensure that guides and guests can be heard without shouting.

Managing director Kat Brogan, whose father Des established the company, said the firm has been working hard to develop a safe and sustainable plan for re-launch.

“Our rigorous health and safety planning means robust training for staff, PPE, as well as reduced tour group sizes and new outdoor routes to allow personal distancing,” she said. “For now, we will be conducting outdoor tours only to ensure everyone can be safe and feel safe.”

Opening day tours are fully booked, with demand driven by Scottish locals and “staycationers” from other parts of the UK. Ms Brogan said there was “not really” any business from foreign tourists, as quarantine requirements remain a significant barrier to international travel.

All employees have been brought back on a part-time basis through the Government’s flexible furlough programme, with the current tour schedule set to continue through September, October and November. After that, Ms Brogan said Mercat will have to look at “remodelling” its business, with restructuring dependant on the Government safety guidelines in place at that time.

“We have lost the five most profitable months of the year,” she said. “There has been money from the Government and support from organisations like the Old Town Community Council, for which we are really grateful, but apart from that we have had zero income for the most profitable months of the year that we have.”

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Citing deteriorating economic circumstances and continuing unpredictability about restrictions on travel, Ms Brogan said there remains “massive” uncertainty in the industry. For the moment, “the most important thing is to get moving”.

“The only real solution right now is a vaccine,” she added. “It is a very, very challenging situation.”

Alasdair Northrop of Caledonia Tours caters predominantly to visitors from North America, offering guided coach trips to destination throughout Scotland. That business has evaporated in the current year, though several parties have moved their bookings into 2021.

Even so, he remains cautious about the prospects for a recovery next year: “I am not that optimistic, but I hope I am proved wrong.”

A board member at the Scottish Tourist Guides Association (STGA), Mr Northrop said this winter will be a tough period for the country’s thousands of tour guides, many of whom are self-employed. The Government’s furlough programme and support for the self-employed are both due to finish at the end of October.

Many, including Mr Northrop, have turned to alternative ways of generating cash through livestream tours, pre-recorded videos and podcasts. He has also led groups on West End Stories, a twice-daily tour running five days a week until September 13, organised by the Edinburgh branch of the STGA in association with Edinburgh World Heritage.

“We have not been sitting back and doing nothing,” he said. “Most of it is not hugely profitable, but it keeps some money coming in and keeps us sharp.”

Welcoming the return of Mercat Tours, VisitScotland regional leadership director Paula Ward said local residents will play a key role in the recovery of the country’s tourism industry.

“It is fantastic to see Mercat Tours open and ready to welcome people once more, as tourism businesses across the city begin to look toward recovery,” she said. “We all have a part to play in getting tourism back on track by supporting local and enjoying what our beautiful city has to offer in a responsible way.”