Scotland top choice for international visitors

International tourism in Scotland continues to outperform other parts of the UK, new figures have revealed.

Covering the first six months of 2024, the Office for National Statistics latest figures for the International Passenger Survey (IPS) show, there were a total of 1,975,000 visits to Scotland from international visitors, an increase of 14% on the same period in 2023 and a rise of 46% on 2019.

Between January – June, international visitors spent almost £1.5 billion - up 2% on the same period in 2023 and 30% in 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% increase on 2023.

Responding to the figures, Vicki Miller new CEO of VisitScotland 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.

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.”

Full figures can be viewed at: https://www.visitbritain.org/research-insights/inbound-visits-and-spend-quarterly-uk

SCOTLAND SUMMARY FOR Q1 and Q2 2024 (JANUARY – JUNE)

• There were 1,975,000 inbound visits to Scotland, with a record number of visits in up 14% on the same period in 2023 and a rise of 46% on 2019. There were a record number of visits during in Q2 April – June 1,358,000.
• International visitors spent £1.5 billion, up 2% on 2023 and 30% on 2019 taking into account inflation. Of this, Q2 April – June saw a record spend of £1.2 billion.
• North America continues to show the largest growth in both visits and spend. Visits were up 54% on 2023 and 69% on 2019 during the first six months of the 2024 with spend 29% higher on 2023 and 48% higher on 2019 taking into account inflation.
• Please note: the Office for National Statistics are currently undertaking a QA review of International Passenger Survey data between 2019 and 2023. These figures may be subject to marginal change.