Q&A with ASVA Chief Executive, Michael Golding

A focus on our visitor attraction sector

The Scotland Visitor Survey revealed visitor attractions were a popular way for holidaymakers to spend their time in Scotland.

We asked the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) Chief Executive, Michael Golding, about how attractions have benefitted the visitor economy over the last year, as well as what's in store for the year ahead. Here’s what he had to say…

Michael Golding, Chief Executive, ASVA

The Scotland Visitor Survey highlighted that historic properties and those connected to nature have been popular. Why is this, and are there any locations and types of attractions that have seen particularly strong performance?

Scotland is known for its beautiful castles and historic buildings, we’re incredibly fortunate to have historic sites throughout the country that allow visitors to walk in the footsteps of Scots going back thousands of years.

These experiences capture the imagination, particularly of international visitors, and provide truly special moments that visitors will remember forever. In addition, one positive impact of the pandemic has been a desire to connect with nature, slow down and prioritise wellbeing.

Visitor attractions with a direct or nearby opportunity to connect with nature, while have an outstanding experience, have been well placed to meet the changing demands of visitors.

Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. Credit: VisitScotland / Luigi Di Pasquale

There’s been a lot of visitor attractions that have made significant investments in their product. Inverness Castle, Perth Museum and Paisley Museum to name a few. How does this benefit the wider visitor economy?

There is a tremendously positive impact from significant investment to create new and reinvigorated visitor attractions. They can provide incredible new experiences that raise the profile of their destination and in doing so, create vital growth in visitor numbers that fuel the local and regional economy.

Added to that, they help raise the profile of Scotland internationally, such as Inverness recently being listed in the 50 best places in the world to visit next year in Travel + Leisure.

Perth Museum. Credit: VisitScotland / Kenny Lam

Have there been any areas of growth in terms of bookings (direct or via travel trade) from key markets or demographics?

We are seeing continuing growth from our key international markets including America, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

The travel trade (so tour operators and travel agents) is key here, as most Americans visiting Scotland do so through the travel trade and therefore it is important that attractions are actively creating the right partnerships that can fuel their future growth.

My hope for the future, is that Scotland can continue developing an all year round offering. We have a beautiful country where attractions provide incredible experiences regardless of the time of year. I hope we can take positive steps here, as this better supports year round employment, economic opportunities and creates improved places to live.

Shetland Museum and Archives. Credit: Promote Shetland / Euan Myles

Are there particular trends you have noticed at attractions over the last year that are helping to bring visitors to Scotland?

In recent years we’ve seen great progress in the ability to book online. This creates certainty of revenue and mitigates the risks relating to on the day decision making by visitors.

The quality of experience is also key, and we’ve seen huge successes here, with Real Mary King’s Close winning TripAdvisors UK’s Best Attraction, or at the World Travel Awards as Singleton won Scotland’s best distillery tour.

By clearly showing the quality of experience, that visitors can expect from Scotland, we can drive greater interest – after all, 100% of overseas visitors go to an attraction.

The Real Mary Kings Close, Edinburgh. Credit: The Real Mary King's Close 

What are the main opportunities for the visitor economy in 2025 from a visitor attraction perspective?

There are several key opportunities for the coming year. We’re seeing many attractions at or close to capacity in peak months, therefore, there is a lot of innovation happening to create new and inspiring premium experiences that capture the imagination.

For example, the new Kelpies experience that provides visitors with the chance to climb a rope course all the way to the horse’s mouth, who would have imagined it! Innovation like this is hugely important and can create new opportunities for attractions to increase yield while balancing challenges with capacity.

The Helix, Home of The Kelpies, Falkirk. Credit: VisitScotland / Kenny Lam

What are the main challenges for 2025?

2025 will be a year that provides both opportunity and challenge. The reality is that this is a new world, rather than restoration of pre-pandemic.

While international visitor numbers are performing well, in contrast domestic visitors who are feeling the cost-of-living impact are struggling to afford to holiday in Scotland. As a result, attractions and destinations more reliant on domestic visitors are feeling the impact.

Of course, we continue to have challenges with the cost of business, funding, transport, staffing, seasonality, skills and housing. We must remain optimistic, and we are all determined to see positive progress on these challenges, because our commitment to the quality of our attractions and stunning destination will help us remain front of mind with visitors from around the world.

The Borders Distillery copper stills. Credit: VisitScotland / PRImaging