Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive, VisitScotland
As we head into the new year, I want to take a moment to look ahead to 2024 and reflect on 2023; a year where interest in Scotland as a destination remained incredibly strong.
We’ve seen positive signs of a sustainable recovery for Scotland’s tourism industry, with the meaningful return of international visitors. This is especially vital while the domestic market adjusts to cost-of-living related challenges.
The latest International Passenger Survey data, covering April to June 2023, showed Scotland continuing to post the strongest recovery of international visitors compared to the rest of the UK. Our overseas visitors often stay longer and spend more, helping to support jobs in tourism and hospitality across the whole country.
We’re continuing to use our marketing activity to influence potential visitors – domestic and international – at those early planning stages. We want to connect with our visitors, drawing on their emotions and showing them what a visit to Scotland’s diverse regions can feel like at any time of the year. Last year, we worked with partners like Expedia, NBC and others as part of our Scotland Is Calling campaign, to reach the right audiences at the right time.
I was thrilled to see Scotland receive several accolades last year, helping to raise our global profile and inspire future visitors. The Far North wasw named as one of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel destinations. The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere featured in the Global Cool List for 2023 by National Geographic Traveller UK and Scotland’s Islands were chosen as a ‘Best Place To Go in 2024’ by Frommer’s.
During 2023 we also hosted our first in person VisitScotland Connect, our flagship travel trade event which will return to the P&J Live in Aberdeen in April this year. This acts as an important platform for Scottish tourism businesses to make global connections with international buyers. Such collaborations help us grow the visitor economy responsibly, supporting the development of Scottish tourism and hospitality businesses.
Our atmospheric crowds, iconic venues and picture-perfect backdrops played host to a range of cultural, sporting and business events last year, reinforcing Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events. In August, Glasgow and Scotland hosted the world’s first UCI Cycling World Championships. This inspiring and innovative event welcomed over 7,000 amateur and elite cyclists from 129 countries. The Championships also acted as a catalyst for change, enabling investment and encouraging people to embrace and celebrate the power of the bike.
Ensuring a future pipeline of events is also important and 2024 will see the World Athletics Indoor Championships come to Glasgow, the World Orienteering Championships in Edinburgh and the AIG Women’s Open in St Andrews.
Our industry supports economic prosperity, cultural vibrancy and global recognition. Let us not forget that tourism, hospitality and events are a force for good and the heartbeat of many of Scotland’s cities, towns and rural communities.
