Tourism & Leisure

Tourism and the wider visitor economy play a vital role in Scotland's economy, supporting businesses, communities and employment across urban, rural and island areas. The sector contributes significantly to Scotland's cultural identity and economic resilience, whilst helping to sustain a diverse range of leisure, recreation and hospitality facilities.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) recognises the importance of tourism as a key economic sector and promotes opportunities for sustainable tourism development that supports local economies, enhances visitor experiences and respects the character and quality of Scotland's places. The planning system plays an important role in facilitating high quality tourism and leisure developments that contribute positively to communities and the environment.

MFA has extensive experience in the tourism and leisure sector, with caravan parks, holiday villages, visitor accommodation and leisure developments representing a particular area of specialism. We provide strategic planning advice and development support from the earliest stages of project conception through to obtaining planning permission and other statutory consents.

Our planning team acts for a wide range of tourism operators, landowners and developers throughout Scotland and has successfully delivered projects ranging from small scale tourism enterprises to major leisure developments. We are also proud to serve as the appointed planning advisers to the Holiday and Residential Park Association (HARPA) Scotland, reflecting our long standing expertise within the holiday and residential park sector.

Combining detailed knowledge of planning policy with a practical understanding of the tourism industry, we help clients identify opportunities, navigate planning challenges and maximise the potential of their tourism and leisure investments.