Scotland’s First Covid Charter to Safely Welcome Visitors to St Andrews

A trailblazing initiative has been launched in St Andrews to safely welcome tourists back to the popular coastal town.

Over 300 local businesses and organisations have come together to support the StaySafe St Andrews Charter to give confidence to visitors and local residents as businesses reopen from the 29th June.

Urban Foresight was commissioned by volunteer group Tourism St Andrews to develop and facilitate this unique whole-town approach.

A series of virtual workshops and interviews with local businesses and community groups helped to establish the objectives for the campaign.

Comprehensive research into emerging standards and global best practice also informed the development of the town’s response.

This led to the development of a bespoke ‘5C Strategy’ that clearly communicated the town’s commitment to safe working practices and the latest government guidance.

Urban Foresight’s in-house design team was tasked to create a brand, leaflets, banners and window stickers that will be displayed across the town and shared via social media.

Debbie MacCallum, Chair of Tourism St Andrews said “by creating a clear and co-ordinated response to the challenges of tourism in a time of Covid 19,  St Andrews will be able to protect our local communities while extending our world famous warm welcome to visitors coming to visit our wonderful beaches, shops, open spaces, golf and hospitality.”

Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector has been hit particularly hard by the Covid lockdown. As one of Scotland’s top 5 destinations, tourism accounts for 1 in 5 jobs in St Andrews and contributes about £110 million per year to the local economy.

More information on the StaySafe St Andrews Charter and the businesses supporting this initiative can be found at Tourism St Andrews.