Tourism shares top spot in national poll

Scotland residents believe tourism is one of the biggest drivers of the country’s economy, VisitScotland can reveal.

In a YouGov survey, 95% of those living here ranked tourism alongside energy and hospitality as the most important sectors of the economy. It ranked higher than retail, construction, financial and business services (including banking), manufacturing and life sciences.

The Scotland Resident Survey 2025* was conducted by YouGov with more than 1,000 online interviews carried out between 9 – 13 January this year.

It revealed 91% agreed tourism brings economic benefits to Scotland as a whole and attracts investment, with 72% agreeing it provides employment opportunities.

VisitScotland’s work is led by data and insights, so residents’ views on the tourism and events industry and what is important to them will be used to inform and shape future activities.

The national tourism and events organisation is currently raising has awareness of the importance of the visitor economy, highlighting to why tourism and events is one of Scotland’s key economic drivers.

The visitor economy refers to the impact of people visiting a place – from the activities they enjoy and the services they use, to the jobs they support. 

In 2023, visitors spent £10.8 billion in Scotland. This spend not only supports over 245,000 tourism-related jobs and more than 16,000 businesses, but also creates a ripple effect, benefiting local supply chains including food and drink, arts and culture, retail, construction, and transport. (Scottish Tourism Observatory)

In the past ten years, tourism-related jobs have grown by a quarter while the number of businesses in the sector has risen by 15%. (Scottish Tourism Observatory)

Scotland has also earned a global reputation for hosting and delivering high quality major events, including the Edinburgh Festivals, UCI Cycling World Championships and The Open.

The 2024 UK Event Report found that the events industry generates £61.653 billion annually for the economy, with £5.5 billion (9%) of that attributed to Scotland.

In addition to the economic benefits, the survey results highlighted a range of other positive outcomes from tourism.

90% agreed that tourism in Scotland helps us to develop a positive reputation overseas. Many people agreed it showcases the beauty of Scotland (72%) and our history (63%).

There were with high scores too for tourism helps sustain communities (74%) protecting and enhancing Scottish culture (70%), connecting local communities to other cultures (63%) and to protect and conserve historic buildings (76%).

However, opinion was divided on whether tourism protects and enhances the natural environment (39% agreed and 48% disagreed) and a sizeable minority raised traffic congestion (47%) and litter (46%) as negative aspects.

The organisation’s latest Corporate Plan highlights the role tourism and events must play in being part of the solution to climate change, which includes protecting natural and community assets, by growing the visitor economy in a responsible way.

VisitScotland provides leadership to the national visitor management programme, encouraging visitors to consider their impact on local communities.

It also manages the Scottish Government’s Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) to supporting infrastructure investment to manage the flow of visitors, including greater car parking and access roads, an increase in toilets and waste disposal.

VisitScotland Chief Executive Officer, Vicki Miller, said: “It’s good to see that many residents in Scotland recognise the vital role the visitor economy plays in the country and recognise the hard work of those in our industry.

“Tourism and events are among Scotland’s most important industries and the second largest growth sector in Scotland’s economy.  We are running a new awareness raising initiative to highlight the importances of the visitor economy, building a greater understanding and appreciation of its wide-ranging benefits to Scotland’s people and places.

“We know the impact of tourism is a concern for some residents, so it’s about getting the balance right. Our marketing activity focuses on responsible tourism growth, prioritising the value, rather than the volume, of visitors and working with destinations to ensure tourism benefits both businesses and communities.

“Following our evolution into an economic growth agency, our latest Corporate Plan sets out our ambitions for the next three years, to drive the visitor economy and grow its value to Scotland, as we work towards our vision of creating better places for people to live, work and visit.”

Leon Thompson, Executive Director of UKHospitality Scotland said: “These views demonstrate the value that our communities place on tourism. This support is why Scotland always delivers that famously warm welcome to visitors, inviting people to enjoy our beautiful country, fascinating history and contemporary culture.

“Also, as residents, or when holidaying at home, we all benefit from the investment made by our hospitality and tourism businesses.

“As part of considering how we continue to deepen the positive effect of hospitality and tourism, it is vital that our dynamic contribution is harnessed to showcase Scotland to the world. By doing this our businesses and the unique experiences on offer can help deliver more investment and economic growth in communities around the country.”

Ends

*Scotland Residents Survey 2025. Research commissioned by VisitScotland and carried out by YouGov Plc Fieldwork of 1032 adults was undertaken between 9-13th January 2025 The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Scotland adults (aged 18+). https://www.visitscotland.org/research-insights/responsible-tourism/visitor-community-research/role-of-tourism-study

Scotland’s visitor economy

Our Corporate Plan