Scotland was the only UK region to record an increase in visitors from North America last summer
Scotland’s international tourism rebound has been faster than that of other parts of the United Kingdom, with a strong visitor spend adding to the Scottish economy.
In a press statement, the region’s tourism agency VisitScotland says that European visitors were responsible for just over half of all trips during that period, followed by North American visitors. Scotland was the only UK region to record an increase in visitors from North America last summer.
Malcolm Roughead
“Today’s figures are further evidence of the indisputable allure of Scotland for international visitors. Our overseas visitors stay longer and spend more, which in turn supports the visitor economy. They are a crucial market for our industry, particularly while domestic visitors adjust to the cost-of-living challenges,” says Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive.
Covering July to September 2023, the Office of National Statistics latest quarterly figures for the International Passenger Survey (IPS) show that there were a total of 1.4 million visits to Scotland by international visitors, an increase of 6 pc on the same period in 2022 and a rise of more than a 14 pc on Quarter 3 in 2019.
The board adds that over the summer months, international visitors spent almost GBP 1.5 billion, up 6 pc on the same quarter in 2022. When adjusted for inflation, this means that in real terms, visitor spend in that period was up by 16 pc from Quarter 3 in 2019.
The main purpose of trips for international visitors travelling to Scotland last summer was holidays, making up two thirds or 66 pc of visits and over three quarters of spend or 76 pc.
“We must continue building that demand, especially across key markets, such as the US, Europe and the UK, inspiring visitors at those all-important planning stages and reaching them through the channels we know they use. While we all continue to navigate the challenging economic landscape, our priority is to use our marketing, partnership work, and business support activities to grow appetite for Scotland from all visitors, near and far, and make Scotland a year-round, must-visit destination,” Roughead adds.
