Whiskey tourism contributed £380 million to Scottish economy

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

In 2017, Scotch whisky tourism developed to record levels as Glasgow welcomed its highest number of international visitors ever, attracting £380 million to the economy of Scotland.

 
The boost for the tourism industry of Scotland came yesterday with new statistics showing there were 1.9 million visits to Scotch whisky centers, displaying a growth of 45 percent since 2010. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) explained that visitors spent £60.9 million, with Germans and Americans accounting for the greatest number of visitors followed by people from India, China and Japan. The Scotch Whisky Association or the SWA stated that tourists spent £60.9 million, with Germans and Americans accounting for the highest visitor number followed by visitors from India, China and Japan. Also, international visitors helped the economy of Glasgow in 2017 as the largest city of Scotland witnessed a record number of people of 787,000 respectively.

 
The number went up to nearly a fifth as spending increased by more than a third to £319 million, both record levels for the city.

 
On average, majority of tourists visiting Glasgow stayed for approximately five nights. An estimated 400,000 came from Europe while 218,000 were from North America.

 
Maximum tourists visiting Glasgow stayed for five nights on average. Approximately 400,000 came from Europe while 218,000 were from North America.

 
Glasgow Life said festivals like Celtic Connections, the World Pipe Band Championships and sporting events as the main attractions, along with international conferences and conventions.

 
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “Tourism is the heartbeat of the Scottish economy and touches every community; generating income, jobs and social change. The results of this rise in overseas tourism to Glasgow will see ripple effects across the city and beyond.”

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