SCOTLAND’S Tourism Minister has said the economy has been boosted by a boom in summer tourism, after a new survey found an increase in spending and the number of domestic tourists in Scotland last summer.
The Great Britain Tourism Survey found that the number of overnight visits by domestic tourists from July to September increased by 4% compared to the same period in 2022.
The survey also revealed that visitors spent around £1 billion in Scotland over the same period.
The Scottish Government’s Tourist Minister, Richard Lochhead (below) welcomed the latest data, adding that Scotland’s tourism and hospitality industry was “renowned for its warm welcome”.
Lochhead continued: “Scotland’s breathtaking scenery, variety of outdoors activities and attractive towns, cities and regions are drawing visits from across Great Britain and beyond.
“Scotland’s tourism and hospitality industry is renowned for its warm welcome, and as these figures show this is helping boost the economy during an incredibly challenging time.
“We will continue to support tourism and hospitality partners to build a prosperous economy; while delivering the very best for visitors.”
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Whilst the number of overnight visits by domestic tourists to Scotland has increased, the same figure for the UK as a whole was 4% lower.
When combined with previously released statistics, Scotland received an overall 17% increase in domestic and international overnight and day visits for July to September, compared to the same period in 2022.
The latest data also found that from July to September, UK residents took 3.8 million overnight trips in Scotland, staying for 11.1 million nights.
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