Under the influence(r) of Fife

A leading blogger is helping her virtual visitors learn more about Fife’s accessible tourism offering following a trip to the region last month.

Sarah Alexander, also known to her followers as From Sarah Lex, was invited to the Kingdom by Fife Council and VisitScotland.

With a total online audience of over 35,000 people, Northamptonshire-based influencer Sarah posts regularly blogs about fashion, lifestyle, beauty and disability, often sharing her experience of traveling with access requirements.

Her first ever trip to Fife included stays at Homelands at Lundin Links and The Rings in Cupar, both offer wheelchair accessible self-catering accommodation and are equipped to support visitors who require additional access assistance.

As part of her time exploring the region, Sarah also enjoyed visits to Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries, caught a poetry performance at StAnza and discovered the famous West Sands Beach to test one of the new St Andrews Beach Wheelchairs which are allowing more people to enjoy this wonderful part of the Fife coastline.

Speaking following her trip, Sarah said: “I fell in love with Fife and will definitely be returning in the future. I was really impressed by the accommodation available at Homelands and the Rings. I loved how modern and contemporary they were. Both so different but equally lovely.

“Visiting the Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries was one of my favourite days out, the staff were so welcoming and friendly, the building was spectacular, and I loved being surrounded by books and history. I would definitely recommend going there for a day.

“The St Andrews Beach Wheelchairs was also lots of fun, I hadn’t been on a beach in years. They’re free to hire as well, so that’s amazing.”

Research shows that one in five people in the UK are disabled. This includes not only wheelchair users, but also people with hearing loss, visual impairments. In 2015, £12 billion was spent in England, and £1.3 billion in Scotland, on trips where a member of the party had an impairment. This includes day trips, domestic overnight trips and inbound trips.

Ann Camus, Fife Tourism Partnership Manager, said: “We were excited to host Sarah, our first accessibility influencer and loved following her Fife adventure. Accessible tourism is a growing market and we’re working closely with Fife businesses to ensure we’re geared up to provide the best visitor experience for everyone.”

Caroline Warburton, VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed Sarah, her partner and their dog Teddy to Fife. The region is making great strides to ensure that it can offer the same warm welcome to all visitors. We know that nowadays people access travel inspiration from a variety of different sources including social media. Through this project we hope to provide online audiences with plenty of inspiration and information regarding accessible days out so they consider adding Fife to their travel plans in the future.”

For more information about Fife visit: www.visitscotland.com/fife