Press release -
VisitScotland Chief Executive hails “phenomenal growth” in tourism
VisitScotland Chief Executive, Malcolm Roughead, responds to the release of the quarterly (Q3 2017) International Passenger Survey (IPS) tourism statistics by the UK Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the domestic tourism statistics derived from the Great Britain Tourism Survey. He said:
“We knew anecdotally that tourism businesses across Scotland had a good summer in 2017, but it is absolutely phenomenal to see just how much growth there was compared to the same period in 2016 with overseas visits up by 14.6% and domestic visits up by 10% from July to September.
“Such exceptional increases across visits and spend can be attributed to a myriad of different factors which have worked together to create a perfect blend for Scottish tourism. Key influences include increased capacity on air routes from countries all across the world, favourable exchange rates and of course the Outlander effect which has had a huge impact with many coming to experience the land that inspired the popular books and TV series.
“More than that, we are noticing a real uplift in the staycation market with less people flying out of the UK for the first time in a number of years, meaning many are simply getting out and about exploring their own country. This is a real testament to the hard work of our tourism industry which is constantly innovating and investing to ensure visitors receive not only a quality experience, but a memorable one.
“Pioneering partnerships have been at the heart of VisitScotland marketing activity including key collaborations with TripAdvisor, booking.com and E4, ensuring we reach more potential visitors globally in new and exciting ways. Our focus on digital marketing and unique PR campaigns including an ambitious YouTube influencer campaign has been very successful, with Scotland punching above its weight on a global platform.
“Tourism is the heartbeat of the Scottish economy, causing a ripple effect which touches every industry and community, creating employment and economic growth. We will continue to work hard to ensure the sector remains a priority for Scotland for many years to come.
KEY FACTS
QUARTER 3 ONLY (Jul – Sept 2017)
Overseas visits have increased: +14.6%
Overseas spend has increased: +4.3%
Domestic visits have increased: +10%
Domestic spend has increased: +24.7%
Combined overseas and domestic visits have increased: +11%
Combined overseas and domestic spend has increased: +14%
ROLLING YEAR STATISTICS (Oct 2016 – Sept 2017)
Overseas visits have increased: +14.8%
Overseas spend has increased: +14.7%
Domestic visits have decreased: -1.5%
Domestic spend has increased: +1.5%
Combined overseas and domestic visits have increased: +2%
Combined overseas and domestic spend has increased: +7%
YEAR TO DATE (Jan – Sept 2017)
Overseas visits have increased: +14.3%
Overseas spend has increased: +18.3%
Domestic visits have decreased: -5.5%
Domestic spend has stayed the same: -0.4%
Combined overseas and domestic visits have decreased: -1%
Combined overseas and domestic spend has increased: +7%
Domestic holiday visits: +8.5%
Domestic holiday expenditure: +12.7%
Domestic day visits: +7.4%
Domestic day visit expenditure: +29.3%
The latest ONS statistics for Q3 2017:
The latest GBTS statistics for 2017:
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by five overarching strategies: Marketing, Events, Quality and Sustainability, Inclusive Tourism, International Engagement.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
2018 Year of Young People
- The Year of Young People 2018 will be the next of the Scottish Government’s series of themed years, following the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017.
- The Year of Young People (YoYP 2018) will inspire Scotland through its young people aged 8 to 26, celebrating their achievements, valuing their contributions to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and globally
- Central to YoYP 2018 will be a celebratory events programme that puts young people at the heart of its development and delivery, creating new and valuable experiences for young Scots and the wider public, with links to the inaugural 2018 European Championships.
- Over 200 young people throughout Scotland are currently being recruited to become YoYP 2018 Ambassadors. Ambassadors will ensure that people and organisations in their communities know about what’s happening and will lead on projects and activities to create events and opportunities to celebrate young people.
- The Year of Young People will have six themes which were developed in co-production with young people themselves:
- oParticipation – looking at how young people can influence public services and decisions which affect their lives
- oEducation – creating a stronger role for young people in shaping their learning
- oHealth and Wellbeing – supporting young people to lead healthier, active lives and have opportunities to learn about and improve their mental health and resilience
- oEquality and Discrimination – broadcasting the value of young Scots, challenging negative perceptions of young people, and supporting young people to take leading roles in challenging discrimination in all its forms.
- oEnterprise and regeneration – celebrating young people’s role in innovation, entrepreneurship and the Scottish economy as well as making Scotland a greener and more pleasant place to live
- oCulture – celebrating young people’s talent and contribution to Scottish culture and arts.
- Further information on what’s happening and how people can get involved can be found on the new website www.yoyp2018.scot or @YOYP2018 on Twitter.
