‘Staycations’ save the day as overseas tourism falls

SPENDING by overseas visitors to Scotland slumped by 17 per cent during the first half of 2011, new figures have revealed.Tourism leaders have also admitted the number of foreign visitors was down by 78,000, a drop of 8 per cent compared to the same period in 2010.

In contrast, the UK has seen a 5 per cent rise in both the number of foreign visitors and what they spend over the same period. It emerged earlier this week that Britain is now the world’s third most-popular tourist destination.

However, overall tourism spending in Scotland for the first half of 2011 is up 3 per cent – thanks to a 6 per cent increase in the number of UK visitors. Domestic tourism spending was up 13 per cent.

VisitScotland has admitted it is “surprised” by the slump in overseas visitors, and will be “exploring” what is behind the slump, but said the figures almost certainly reflected the global economic downturn.

The Scottish Government insisted the overall performance of the industry – which has seen the total number of visitors go up 4 per cent – was “encouraging”, and pointed out that the number of visitors from North America had increased by 7 per cent in the first half of the year.

News of the mixed picture emerged in the wake of The Scotsman revealing that VisitScotland had shelved its main Oscars-style awards this year following criticism of the format of the event, which was launched 20 years ago.

Its officials believe although its major European markets have held up well, some countries may be experiencing the same “staycation” effects which have benefited the industry in the UK.

A spokeswoman said: “The combined domestic and international figures paint a very positive picture, with visits and spend showing an encouraging 4 per cent growth in visitor numbers and a 3 per cent increase in spend.

“As 84 per cent of our visitors come from the UK, this shows the value of the staycation effect to tourism in Scotland.” Malcolm Roughead, Visit-Scotland’s chief executive, said: “Earlier this year, we launched a major UK campaign, including a stronger focus on the Scottish market, and this is starting to pay dividends.

“However, we must not be complacent – the industry is still suffering from the global economic downturn, and we need to continue to promote Scotland in key markets.”

News of a 17 per cent drop in what overseas visitors are spending in Scotland will be particularly alarming, as the industry had seen a 5.5 per cent increase in this figure in 2010 compared to the previous 12 months.

Robin Worsnop, chair of the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, said: “I am very surprised at the figures for overseas visitors, as this does not match the anecdotal evidence we’ve had from our members this year. Maybe it is a much different picture in other parts of the country.”

Tourism minister Fergus Ewing said: “The Scottish Government and VisitScotland are working hard domestically and internationally to position Scotland as a first-class destination for both business and leisure tourism.”