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The chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Forum has underlined the importance of the consumer in the travel industry.

Speaking to BBC One Scotland, Ian Herbert said that the customer should be put at the centre of everything that the travel industry does.

He illustrated his point by referring to the online travel community TripAdvisor, saying that the industry is only as good as the last review that it has been given online.

'What we should be doing is positioning ourselves such that the quality is superb, so that when people come here they really enjoy it,' he said.

The chief executive of VisitScotland, Philip Riddle, has also commented on the industry recently, saying that government intervention is necessary if the market is to achieve its goals.

Speaking to the BBC from a tourism conference, Philip Riddle said the target of 50% growth in seven years is achievable, but only with considerable support from outside sources.

'Everyone here at this conference of Scotland United believes in their soul they can do it, but they also believe it's going to require intervention from the public sector, support from the government and a lot of intervention and joined-up work by the private sector,' he said.

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