It’s official - Scotland top choice for international visitors as spending jumps
“We must continue building on this across our key market, inspiring both domestic and international visitors through the channels we know they use” – Vicki Miller, VisitScotland
International tourism in Scotland continues to outperform other parts of the UK, new official figures indicate.
VisitScotland’s new chief executive, Vicki Miller, welcomed the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) latest data relating to the International Passenger Survey, which showed that there were a total of 1,975,000 visits to Scotland from international visitors in the first six months of 2024, an increase of 14 per cent on the same period in 2023 and a rise of 46 per cent on 2019.
According to the ONS figures, between January and June, international visitors spent almost £1.5 billion - up 2 per cent on the same period in 2023 and 30 per cent ahead of 2019, in real terms, when adjusted for inflation. European visitors were responsible for just over half of all trips during that period, followed by North American visitors who continue to show the largest growth in visits with a 54 per cent increase on 2023.
Miller said: “These figures show that Scotland continues to be a destination of choice for international visitors in 2024 and is still outperforming other parts of the UK. They are a testament to the strength of Scotland’s offering with visits and spend up on 2019 and 2023, which was a record-breaking year for international visitors.
“These visitors, who stay longer and spend more, are crucial to our industry and the visitor economy, supporting businesses and communities across the country.”
She added: “Scotland’s strong international recovery has been a result of the work carried out by VisitScotland, industry and partners to drive demand over the last few years. We must continue building on this across our key market, inspiring both domestic and international visitors through the channels we know they use to drive the visitor economy, growing its value to Scotland.”
North America continued to show the largest growth in both visits and spend. Visits were up 54 per cent on 2023 and 69 per cent on 2019 during the first six months of this year, with spend 29 per cent higher on 2023 and 48 per cent higher on 2019 taking into account inflation.
VisitScotland pointed to its own visitor survey showing that more than 80 per cent of international visitors are likely to recommend Scotland as a destination to friends and family with this the top source of inspiration for travellers. It noted that 71 per cent of European and 46 per cent of long-haul visitors are likely to return to Scotland in the next five years.
Top drivers for taking a holiday in Scotland are said to be landscapes and scenery, history and culture, outdoor activities, “Scotland’s people” and ancestral ties.
Earlier this year, VisitScotland announced that it was to close its network of information centres over the next two years as it phases out face-to-face contact with tourists, in a move described as a “hammer blow” to the industry. The national tourism body runs some two dozen centres across the country with all to close as more money is invested in digital online guides.
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