Spending in Scotland by overseas visitors up

SPENDING by overseas visitors to Scotland has risen over the past year, boosted by tourism from North America.

New figures show international tourists spent about £1,850 million in the year to March 2017, up around nine per cent on the previous 12-month period.

The number of overnight stays by overseas visitors was also up, rising to almost 2.75 million, an increase of three per cent on the previous 12 months.

Tourists from North America spent more than £640 million in the year to the end of March, up 40 per cent compared with the previous 12 months.

The spending was accompanied by a rise in visits, up nearly 20 per cent to almost 600,000.

European visits also increased, although spending fell from about £883 million to £833 mil- lion. Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Our industry, which employs 217,000 people, continues to flourish acting as a magnet for tourists drawn to our world-class attractions. It is great news for our economy.

“The rise in overseas tourists is encouraging. Visitors are spending generously when they visit Scotland, particularly those coming from North America.”

VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead said: “These latest figures show that Scotland continues to punch above its weight in a hugely competitive global market, with our country seen around the world as a ‘mustvisit’ destination. We will, of course, not rest on our laurels.

“We need to think bigger about Scotland as a tourism destination to ensure we fulfil our potential – every visitor must get a quality experience every single time.”