Almost no one generates their own electricity or breeds cattle in order to have steak on the menu. So why do we feel it necessary to cope in-house with every sphere of business?

Concentrating on core activities, i.e. hospitality, is what we should be doing, not feeling swamped or distracted by other matters such as keeping on top of ever-changing legislation. But while we can’t escape our obligations as set down by law, we can at least make sure of compliance by outsourcing that role.

In much the same way that we hire accountants and lawyers, it is now possible to buy in compliance services to ensure our businesses are fully up to date and doing everything by the book. And what’s more it needn’t cost an arm and a leg either. For a modest monthly fee, a compliance service takes care of a whole host of legislative minefields including licensing laws, liability and European directives. When you consider how much it might cost if your business unwittingly strays foul of the law, the cost of a compliance is small beer for peace of mind.

For a more DIY approach, try HIE Business. Simply describe your type of tourism business, e.g. hotel, and click the Go button. You may be asked to further refine your details and then enter your business postcode. The subsequent page presents a guide to all the relevant regulations, licences and permits, and standards, as well as details of trade bodies and other useful contacts in your area.

Better still, by registering with the HIE Business site it’s possible to save, print or create a downloadable file of your personalised guide. By checking back regularly you will be able to find out about any new changes to the law and how they might affect your business.

Robin Worsnop, chairman of the Tourism Innovation Group, has highlighted the weight of legislation on the tourism industry as a major concern. Writing in the Sunday Herald recently, Worsnop fears that so much attention is being paid by legislation to the minutiae of working practice that the bigger picture is being lost: “By disincentivising businesses in such ways, we are effectively preventing long-term growth and economic sustainability…we have to provide an authentic Scottish experience for the visitors that arrive daily on our doorstep.

“But this authenticity is becoming hard to maintain in the face of growing regulation, which, though well-meaning, often has unforeseen consequences.”

Citing several examples, Worsnop, who is also the managing director of tour company, Rabbie’s Trail Burners, comments that the myriad of regulations may be for the protection of the tourism industry, but they are also draining away the “spontaneity, adventure and joy” that people seek on holiday. And these are the very things the tourism industry desperately needs to sustain growth in a competitive marketplace.

Worsnop in his article also called on Holyrood, Westminster and Brussels to address the unforeseen consequences of legislation before “a vital part of our international competitiveness is killed by unthinking bureaucratic dictat.”

Other useful links
People Ist
Scottish Licensed Trade Association
Office of Public Sector Information