Scots tourism reports record year for international visits

The Herald Scotland

24-06-2025

New figures released by VisitScotland from the latest Great Britain Tourism Survey, carried out by the Office for National Statistics, underlined Scotland's continuing appeal among international travellers, and cemented the industry's recovery from the challenging days of the coronavirus pandemic.
They build on a strong performance by the industry in 2023, when international visits to Scotland surged by 23% to four million as the industry reaped the benefits of sustained efforts to market Scotland throughout the Covid crisis.
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Asked to pinpoint the reasons behind the rise in international visits to Scotland last year, Cat Leaver, director of strategy and competitive intelligence at VisitScotland, told The Herald: 'Enhanced connectivity, favourable exchange rates, our world-class visitor experiences, and the warm hospitality of our people - as recognised during the Euros -have all helped attract more holidaymakers to our shores.
'This is significant, as international visitors typically stay longer and spend more than domestic visitors, providing vital support to the visitor economy and benefiting communities across Scotland. Many of our key markets, such as the US and Germany continued to perform well with increased visits and spend. We also saw greater interest from visitors from Ireland and Netherlands last year than in 2023.'
Ms Leaver highlighted a rise in visitor numbers to heritage attractions such as Edinburgh Castle, Culloden Visitor Centre, and Stirling Castle, as important contributors to the increase in international visits, as well as the emergence of new offers. These include Perth Museum, which is the new home of the Stone of Destiny, the re-opening of the Scottish Crannog Centre, Rosebank Distillery, and the Lost Shore Surf Resort in Edinburgh. Ms Leaver also flagged the impact of events, including the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, the Clipper Around the World Yacht Race in Oban, and 152nd Open golf tournament in Troon.
However, while international visits went from strength to strength, figures for the first quarter highlighted the lingering weakness of the domestic tourism market, which continues to be affected by the cost of living. Residents of Great Britain took 2.2 million overnight trips in Scotland in the first quarter, up 3% on the same period of 2024, according to the survey. These trips spanned 6.1 million nights (up 11%) and generated £752 million of expenditure (up 48%).
However, the volume and value of tourism day trips by residents of Great Britain in Scotland fell by 11% to 16.5 million and by 15% to £844m respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2023. This suggests domestic tourists are focusing expenditure more on longer stays than shorter trips, VisitScotland noted.
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The latest figures on Scottish visitor trends come amid a tumultuous time for the tourism industry, as geopolitical events influence travel patterns and the cost of doing business puts a strain on domestic operators. VisitScotland chief executive Vicki Miller recently said that Scottish tourism may benefit as some tourists decide not to travel to the US because of opposition to US President Donald Trump. But industry representatives have voiced concern over moves by local authorities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow to introduce tourist taxes on overnight stays, warning that visitor levies may undermine Scotland's competitiveness on the world stage.
Asked how the 2025 tourism season is shaping up from an international and domestic perspective, Ms Leaver said: 'While some businesses and tour operators note slower sales and bookings, others remain optimistic, suggesting it may be too early to draw definitive conclusions as the season continues to unfold.
'Our insight suggests that there is still a lot of interest in Scotland as a destination, but visitors are more budget conscious than they may once have been and this continues to drive their travel behaviour, with some reducing the lengths of their stays or spending less on experiences.
'Pricing is also a key consideration for many visitors. To address this, we're collaborating with businesses and stakeholders to ensure high-quality services and hospitality that offer value for money. Our marketing and PR (public relations) efforts highlight a range of budget-friendly options.
'We expect that ongoing wider geopolitical and economic uncertainty may impact this market in the months ahead. As a result, we are continuing to monitor the situation using external data, insight and feedback from partners.'
On whether Scotland is seeing any benefit from international travellers turning away from the US, Ms Leaver added: 'Generally, long-haul visitors book much further in advance than short haul/domestic travellers. So it therefore too early to understand if there has been any immediate impact or benefit to Scotland's visitor figures.
'However, we do recognise the opportunity to appeal to markets who may have traditionally favoured US as their primary holiday destinations. '
Ms Leaver noted that Canada has been identified as a growth market. She said: 'Dedicated efforts are underway to strengthen relationships with Canadian key accounts, including tour operators and travel agencies.
'A key development in fostering Canadian interest in Scotland is the launch of the new direct Air Canada route from Montreal to Edinburgh, set to begin on 26 June. This route will provide a much-needed direct connection, making travel to Scotland more convenient and accessible for Canadian visitors.'