Celebrating Scotland's visitor economy

The ripple effect of tourism and events

Today (23 April), we have launched a new initiative highlighting the significant contribution tourism and events makes to the lives of people across Scotland. 

In 2023, visitors spent £10.8 billion in Scotland, making tourism and events one of our most important industries. This spending creates a ripple effect, benefiting multiple sectors, industries, and communities.

Supporting the visitor economy brings opportunities for communities, business growth, new investment in facilities, infrastructure, experiences and services, and a vibrant cultural scene. 

Watch our campaign video to see how the visitor economy benefits us all. 

We need your help

We are calling on partners, stakeholders, businesses and community groups to support the campaign and share your stories of tourism and events and the positive impact our sector and the visitor economy has across Scotland. 

We all know how important the sector is - New YouGov research has revealed that Scottish residents recognised tourism and events as one of the most important industries driving the nation's economy. (Scotland Residents Survey 2025). 

Similarly, over 90 percent of respondents also agreed that tourism brings economic benefits and attracts investment. (Scotland Residents Survey 2025). 

However, this new series of activity aims to help build a greater understanding and appreciation of the ripple effect created by the visitor economy by illustrating the wider range of benefits it can bring. This includes supporting wider sectors, transforming towns and cities and sustaining communities. 

In the toolkit, you can find campaign key messaging, social media copy and prompts, access to social images and our campaign video, and our press release to help you create content to share across your channels. 

Join the campaign and share what the visitor economy means to you and your organisation. 

Our CEO Vicki Miller's latest blog

"The visitor economy is much more than holidays or day trips at certain times of the year. It is a sustainable long-term benefit – it’s jobs, investment, better places to live, work, visit, and happier people.  

All of us, whether we realise it or not, have benefitted from this visitor economy.  

Those working within tourism and events do an incredible job, particularly during these challenging times and this campaign is a timely reminder of the critical role our industry plays in Scotland.  

By fostering partnerships, creating jobs, and supporting local communities, the visitor economy is helping Scotland thrive—today and into the future."

Hear more from our Chief Executive Vicki Miller in her latest blog.