New wave of tourist interest

That industry is tourism, repeatedly forecast to be the largest business by the year 2000, now only 20 months away. In Scotland alone it employs 177,000 people, 8% of the country's workforce and 15% in the Highlands.

As part of a global market it is also subject to exchange rate effects. The latest survey of the Deloitte & Touche Scottish Chambers' Business Survey late last month showed weaker tourist demand from abroad in the first quarter of this year as a result of the strong pound.

There was an overall slight decline in employment but this concealed increased use of part-time staff. Recruitment activity was high, with 77.4% of the firms surveyed trying to recruit staff and 92.5% finding difficulty in recruiting suitable staff.

Tom Buncle, chief executive of the Scottish Tourist Board, said at the Scottish Travel Trade Fair in the same week, though, that in spite of the exchange rate concerns, tourism revenue had grown by 2%.

Tracing the impact on employment in tourism of new initiatives, a number of which were introduced at the Travel Trade Fair, is difficult. Frequently the jobs created are in supplier companies, and sometimes existing staff will deal with the resulting increase in business.

A prime example was a new consortium, launched after the fair in an event aboard Direct Cruises' Edinburgh Castle while she was berthed at Greenock Ocean Terminal. Cruise Scotland brings together 12 Scottish ports, the STB and its 14 area boards.

''Scotland's cruise shipping business has seen substantial growth over the past five years with ship visits rising by 40% and passenger numbers more than doubling,'' said STB chief executive Tom Buncle.

''This can be attributed to increased interest in European cruising with a demand for new destinations outwith the Caribbean. We have a selection of deep-water ports necessary for cruise liners.''

Since 1993 the number of ships calling at Scottish ports has risen from 156 to 220, taking the number of passengers to around 90,000. Cruise Scotland is aiming to grow this business by another 10% a year over the next three years.

It is offering a one-door approach for port inquiries - Ayr & Troon, Greenock, Campbeltown, Portree, Stornoway, Lerwick, Kirkwall, Invergordon, Peterhead, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh - tourist attractions, shore excursions, special interest itineraries and theme cruises, based on golf courses or on whisky trails, for example.

''There are anything from 100 to 2000 passengers on a cruise ship,'' said Buncle. ''You might have heard of Highland Games being laid on for a cruise ship. We want to create an image of Scotland as a can-do destination.''

Gordon Ireland, head of Cruise Scotland, added: ''In Scotland we have a selection of ports within overnight sailing distance of each other. Although we are only a small country we do offer a diverse range of attractions.

''The cruising industry has experienced huge growth world-wide. There are 35 new ship orders between now and the year 2000. The value of these orders is #6.5bn.''

The value of this business to employment should run into hundreds. ''There is a general assumption that #20,000 supports one job,'' said Buncle. ''Therefore 500 jobs could be supported by the cruise business in Scotland.''

Greenock alone will have 21 liners berthed there at different times during the summer, including ships of Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruises. ''There has been a tremendous increase in the numbers of people who want to go on cruises from Britain,'' said Peter Sommerville, Clydeport's operations manager at the Greenock Ocean Terminal.

The world's largest cruise ship, the Norway, the liner formerly known as France, will sail into the Clyde on August 29. ''It will be the first time the Norway has been seen in Scotland,'' said Sommerville. ''Normally she sails out of Miami and cruises the Caribbean. This is her first European cruise.''

Onshore attractions to be opened this year include the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh's Old Town on St Andrew's Day in November, the Dean Gallery to house the Keiller, Penrose and Sir Eduardo Paolozzi's collections, a visitor section at Skara Brae, Orkney, and the new Dundee Arts Centre.

The Scottish Parliament could well become an attraction in itself. ''I have no doubt that Scotland is the place to be as we head towards a Scottish Parliament and the new millennium,'' said STB chairman Lord Gordon of Strathblane.

Alongside the Parliament will be a #34m attraction, believed to be the only one of its kind in the world, which will create the equivalent of more than 80 full-time jobs. Again, many employment estimates have to be given in terms of full-time equivalents.

Our Dynamic Earth is expected to draw more than 450,000 visitors a year to its depiction of the earth's history using scientific data and images from sources which include National Geographic, the BBC, Reuters and Nasa.

It is being built on the site of the former Holyrood Brewery, gifted to the city by Scottish & Newcastle. Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd took on the project and got #15m from the millennium Commission with additional funding from City of Edinburgh Council and British Gas.

Designed by internationally known architect Sir Michael Hopkins, the building, on three levels, will have a translucent tented roof and a stone amphitheatre seating 1000 people, which is expected to become a major performance venue in the city.

Dr Stuart Munro, who has degrees from Aberdeen and Edinburgh universities, has been seconded from the British Geological Survey to be the scientific director on Dynamic Earth. His job is to communicate the scientific principles to the designers who then turn them into reality.

''When Our Dynamic Earth launches next spring it will be the most exciting millennium project in Scotland,'' said chief executive Julia Fawcett. ''The emphasis is unashamedly on fun and each gallery is designed to surprise and stimulate visitors of all ages.''