'Scottish tourism is not a seasonal or peripheral industry'
However the figures, taken from the Great Britain Tourism Survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and released by VisitScotland, underlined the continuing challenges facing the domestic tourism market in Scotland.
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Although the number of overnight trips taken by residents of Great Britain rose by 3% to 2.2 million in the first quarter, and expenditure increased by 48% to £752 million, the value and volume of day trips decreased. VisitScotland said the findings suggested domestic tourists were prioritising longer term breaks over day trips.
Responding to the figures, Mr Crothall welcomed the record tally of international visits recorded in 2024, which he said underlined the 'strength of Scotland's global appeal and the huge contribution international visitors make to our economy'.
But he declared that the 'topline figures tell only part of the figure' and highlighted the difficulties domestic businesses face in the current economic climate.
Mr Crothall said: 'While international spend is rising, many businesses serving the domestic market continue to face enormous challenges. Rising operating costs, staff shortages, reduced profitability, regulatory burdens and declining domestic overnight stays and spend are all taking their toll. The reality is that too many businesses are still struggling to break even, and a busy summer alone won't secure their future.
'Tourism is not a seasonal or peripheral industry; it is one of Scotland's largest private sector employers, a major export earner and a critical lever for economic growth. To unlock the full potential of the sector and ensure commercial viability for many hundreds of businesses, we need policy stability, fairer taxation and long-term investment in infrastructure, skills and destination development.'
Mr Crothall underlined the industry's continuing concerns over the introduction of visitor levies in parts of Scotland. Edinburgh looks set to become the first local authority area in Scotland to go live with a tourist tax next year. But industry representatives and operators retain concerns over how proposed levies will be collected and the potential impact it could have on Scotland's competitiveness in the international tourism market.
Mr Crothall said: 'The proposed visitor levy is being introduced in a fragile economic climate, placing additional pressure on businesses already fighting to stay afloat. It is vital that it is implemented in full partnership with industry, in a way that is fair, simple and economically sound. The Scottish Tourism Alliance has led on a joint letter to Scottish Government, initially co-signed by 80 representatives from Scotland's tourism and hospitality industry, sharing concerns on the introduction of the visitor levy in its current form.
'Today's figures should be a wake-up call to all political parties, as we move closer to an election year in Scotland, not to take the sector's performance at face value, but to act now, give guarantees to long term increased investment in the development and marketing of the sector, with supportive policy to secure a stronger and more sustainable future for Scottish tourism, creating real opportunities for long-term growth.'
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