Why we cannot lose sight of our tourism successes?

By Malcolm Roughead , VisitScotland Chief Executive

The struggles of Scottish tourism post-pandemic have been well documented. Even once travel restrictions were eased, the industry was met with a suite of new challenges in the form of the cost of living and doing business, staffing issues and changes to consumer behaviour.?

Yet despite this, interest in Scotland has remained incredibly strong. People do still want to travel in whatever way they can and Scotland is very much still on their travel wish lists.??

In difficult times, travel and tourism are still what people turn to when they want to "get away from it all" and prioritise their physical and mental health. Tourism is one of Scotland’s most important industries, in fact in a survey of Scottish residents it was named as the most important. It's an economic and social powerhouse contributing significantly to the economy. It sustains communities, creates jobs and attracts investment – building and growing towns and cities right across the entire country.?

If we want Scotland to be a world-leader in 21st century tourism, then we cannot lose sight of this.??

This year we have been undertaking an extensive piece of research to understand the experiences of our visitors. While the results will take time to fully process, very early feedback suggests that to our visitors, Scotland’s offering is unrivalled, its people and places offer something truly unique. At times, it is easy to forget this and the privileged position we hold as a tourism destination.?

As an industry, we are resilient, we have emerged from the fall-out of the past three years battered and bruised but resolute in our ambition to recover and grow in a responsible and sustainable way.??

We must continue to celebrate success where we can and know that doing so does not diminish the difficulties we face as a sector.?

So, what are our success stories? Last year visitors to Scotland spent over ￡10.5 billion, that is over 90% of the sector's economic value pre COVID. A fantastic achievement during these challenging times.?

Many of Scotland’s key overseas markets have now almost equalled, and in some cases surpassed, 2019 levels.?

In the first six months of this year, Scotland has recorded the strongest recovery of international?visitors compared to the rest of the UK.???

Early reports suggest 2024 is also looking good with strong bookings from American and European visitors. Overseas holidaymakers tend to stay longer and spend more, they are an increasingly important part of the visitor economy.??

This is especially vital while the domestic market adjusts to the cost-of-living challenges. Latest insights suggest concerns around rising costs or personal finances are impacting domestic recovery. Consumers are booking later or having to adjust their trip to suit their financial needs; saving money on shorter trips, booking different accommodation or forgoing eating out or visiting places. This is having a knock-on effect on businesses. However, this is not a problem unique to Scotland. Domestic tourism across the entire UK is facing the same challenges.?

What we should be heartened by is that the desire to travel is still there. Our latest consumer sentiment tracker suggests that two fifths of UK residents are intending to take a domestic trip this autumn or winter. The challenge now is trying to convert that intention into bookings.?

At VisitScotland, we're using our extensive marketing activity to influence potential visitors at those early planning stages. We promote regional and seasonal spread by working with organisations such as Expedia and Disney, as well as LNER, ScotRail and Historic Environment Scotland to inspire - both international and domestic - visitors to enjoy Scotland any way they can and on any budget.??

As an industry, we can continue to offer a quality experience and value for money through our service and the authentic experiences we offer. Aside from our scenery, rich history and distinct culture, our people are one of our strongest assets and the reason so many people return to Scotland time and time again.

Working together with our partners and the industry itself, we can continue to make Scotland a destination of choice for visitors from near and far.?