Delegates from the Scottish tourism industry have overwhelmingly voted against the prospect of a split from the UK as a result of the upcoming independence vote this September.

Of those who took part in the mock vote, held over two days at the Scottish Tourism Alliance’s (STA) annual summit, 59 per cent said they would be voting 'no', while just 32 per cent said 'yes' and a further 9 per cent were undecided.

STA chair Stephen Leckie recently aired his views on the independence vote, warning that Scottish nationalists had failed to make the financial case for independence and that businesses were “punch-drunk” in terms of both tone and nature in the unfolding debate.

Paddy Crerar, Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland chair, however has dismissed the findings, stating in The Scotsman that tourism professionals “recognise that tourism and the wider economy would be better served by the aspirations described by the current Scottish government.”

The STA has been highly vocal in its fight to cut VAT rates for tourism businesses – something the Scottish government hasn’t made a commitment to, though ministers have outlined plans in the independence White Paper to cut air passenger duty by 50 per cent to boost international numbers coming into Scotland.

The STA will be staging its own discussion on the issue in May and the effects it could have on the tourism industry. The organisation has more than 250 members, representing around 70 per cent of Scotland's tourism sector.