The rallying call from an Oban hotel manager, hammering home the importance of driving winter tourism at seaside towns such as the one in which he operates and at “iconic” locations in Scotland generally, grabbed the attention.

The observations of Marc Gardner, general manager of Crerar Hotel Group’s Oban Bay Hotel, and the case he makes are, in themselves, interesting enough.

What makes his intervention even more interesting is that Oban has just been proclaimed Town of the Year in the Scotland Loves Local Awards 2024.

And, on a personal level, having lived in Oban for a while in the early 1990s and visited many times since, his comments were all the more thought-provoking.

Oban and other big Scottish visitor draws face challenges on various fronts in attracting winter tourism.

The first that springs to mind is the weather.

Mention Oban and winter in the same sentence, and it conjures up memories of drizzle.

Of course, there are clear days too.

However, while Mr Gardner is right when he points out that some tourists relish the type of rain that makes the shoulders of many Scots slump, weather is undoubtedly a challenge in attracting winter tourism.

Another challenge is one highlighted by Mr Gardner himself.

Many tourism-related businesses in Oban and in other places which see large fluctuations in visitor numbers close down over the winter.

Okay, so those are two big difficulties.

However, the reward would be great if Scottish tourism in general could enjoy greater success in extending the season into the somewhat dark winter.

For some places, year-round tourism is not so difficult. Edinburgh is a prime example.

And Scotland more generally has plenty going for it as a destination for New Year.

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Oban, for its part, will have a deserved tailwind from its Town of the Year award.

And it obviously has a great advantage, in terms of its spectacular West Highland setting and place as the “Gateway to the Isles”, over some seaside destinations in the Scottish lowlands which are so, so far away from their heydays after decades of many Scots favouring overseas holidays.

Oban has long been a big draw for overseas visitors, and this remains the case.

The town was, in summer and winter back in the early 1990s, like two completely different places.

In the summer, progress along the pavements was extraordinarily slow. Winter evenings often saw the town fairly deserted, although the wildness of the place in the inclement weather had a certain appeal.

Much has changed in the town over the decades, notably including major development such as that of the Railway Pier.

The tourism offering has evolved quite dramatically and to good effect.

And there is much of interest in what Mr Gardner talks about.

True, if there were some sort of silver bullet for winter tourism in Scotland, a far greater proportion of businesses in this sector would already be open out of season, which would obviously be good for employment and local economies.

However, that does not mean we should lose sight of what has been achieved and the greater success which is very possible.

Mr Gardner talks about the importance of working with local businesses.

He has a very good point here, in terms of developing the critical mass of tourism activity which would prove a greater draw to visitors in winter.

Mr Gardner also notes that Diageo’s Oban Distillery is open year-round, which is obviously a good thing for the town.

The more activities are available for visitors, and the more attractions and hospitality venues stay open through the winter, the more appealing a destination will be to visitors.

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The Auchrannie Resort on Arran is a fine example of a business which has had a keen eye on the importance of attracting visitors outside the peak season.

This has included a focus on offering outdoor activities.

And Auchrannie has invested heavily in its spa, a key element of its efforts to entice domestic visitors off-season.

Crerar Hotel Group has also been among the considerable number of hospitality operators in Scotland investing in spa facilities, at the Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa at Inveraray and Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa as well as at Oban Bay.

Mr Gardner highlights various ways in which Oban Bay is trying to attract “winter tourism”, including murder mystery weekends as well as wellness breaks.

He also flags the hotel’s “sea safari” package.

Mr Gardner said: “Very often, Scottish tourism is regarded to be seasonal-centric to the summer months, but it is vital that hoteliers such as ourselves play our part in ensuring tourism in some of Scotland’s most iconic locations can sustain all year round and visitors can continue to enjoy the very best experience available.”

This is a laudable ambition.

It is undoubtedly not an easy one to realise.

However, it is something that can hopefully be achieved ever more over time. Patterns of tourism are not going to change overnight.

And much progress has been made already.

What is crucial is that businesses in the tourism industry are innovative.

For many, year-round opening might not be a realistic possibility, and it is important that businesses in a sector which has not had its troubles to seek, especially smaller ones, do not over-reach or over-extend themselves in the hope that revenue is forthcoming.

That said, many smaller businesses will come up with great new ways of drumming up business through the winter and attracting visitors. As always in tourism, the quality of the offering will be crucial.

Meanwhile, bigger players such as Crerar Hotel Group can probably be a bit bolder in boosting tourism through the winter, helping smaller operators and visitor attractions in the process.

The Scottish Government, which you would imagine will itself be alive to the possibilities, must provide the support that it can to help develop what could be a major boost to the economy overall and to some fragile communities for which tourism makes all the difference.

It is encouraging to see Mr Gardner highlight the potential if winter tourism can be boosted meaningfully in the “iconic” Scottish locations he mentions, and for some other places which are less high-profile but are also attractive to visitors.

The rewards of success, to the extent it can be achieved, should be well worth the effort.