Is Tourism in Scotland Booming?

Tourism is of great importance to the Scottish economy, generating billions of pounds of revenue yearly and providing hundreds of thousands of jobs. In 2015, total overnight visitor spend in Scotland reached £4.9 billion and we’re committed to increasing this to £5.5 billion by 2020.

The SNP Scottish Government seek to ensure that Scotland is an attractive place to visit, where everything Scotland has to offer can be enjoyed and where unique and engaging events are held. It is estimated that the value of the Scottish events industry is £3.5 billion – with Edinburgh’s festivals alone generating £313 million for the Scottish economy during 2015. 

In recent years Scotland has had significant success in securing major events, including the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup in 2014. In the coming years we will also host the European Rugby Champions Cup, World Badminton Championships, and the 124^th Open Championships at Carnoustie as well as many other world-class events.

We will continue to take a ‘Team Scotland’ approach to meet our ambitious tourism goals, involving the public, private and third sectors working together.