Coach tour firm credits Scotland with driving sales

0 The TV series Outlander and fall in the value of sterling are cited as driving visitor numbers A coach tour operator bringing American visitors to the UK expects to see a 10 per cent year-on-year jump in sales to record heights this year, with Scotland providing much of this gain.

Irish operator CIE Tours International saw the same growth rate in 2017, and cited Office for National Statistics data showing that US visitors to the UK grew by a quarter in the first half of 2017, boosted by the weak pound.

The firm itself last year brought 16,000 visitors to the UK, taking them to 100 attractions and 60 hotels, paying £11 million to its suppliers, including about 150,000 hotel nights.

However, it identified high accommodation prices as an issue, particularly in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Chief executive Elizabeth Crabill said: “The Highlands and Islands can also present a problem in relation to finding the right standard of accommodation.”

It is introducing several new tours this year, including a luxury Scotland version.