1. Tourism observatory
Want to learn more about the international markets visiting Scotland? Explore international tourism trends, dating back to 2013, on the Scottish Tourism Observatory.
Explore more data on tourismobservatory.scotOverview
- In 2023, China was Scotland's fifth largest long-haul international market by number of visits. It was fourth by number of nights and fourth by expenditure.
- In 2023 Chinese visitors accounted for 1% of all overseas visits to Scotland and 3% of all overseas spend in Scotland.
- The number of visits by Chinese visitors dropped significantly since the pandemic, with a 65% decrease in 2023 compared to pre pandemic levels. Expenditure, however, showed more promising signs of recovery with spending only 15% lower than pre pandemic levels.
- Chinese visitors took longer trips to Scotland in 2023 and spent more money while they were here. This shift is likely driven by a higher proportion of visits to see friends and relatives in 2023 compared to pre pandemic.
Key statistics
58,000
total number of visits by Chinese visitors to Scotland in 2023
1.8 million
total number of nights spent in Scotland by Chinese visitors in Scotland in 2023
£117 million
total spend by Chinese visitors to Scotland in 2023
31.6
average nights per visit by Chinese visitors to Scotland in 2023
Source: IPS, 2023 (numbers have been rounded)
2. Understanding Chinese holidaymakers
In 2019, we commissioned research with active outbound holidaymakers from the three largest cities in mainland China.
The research participants were travellers aged 25 to 45 who had a propensity for long haul travel outside of Asia. A group of visitors to Scotland were also included in the research. The study was carried out by Kubi Kalloo.
Understanding Chinese holidaymakers
Published September 2019
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Motivations
Chinese holidaymakers were motivated by:
- seeking quality time in natural beauty
- soaking up the local culture
- getting away from it all
Planning and booking
Online travel agencies, travel review sites and social media play an important role in the planning and booking stages.
Visitor experiences
Unexpected experiences that wowed visitors included:
- attending events
- seeing wildlife in its natural habitat
- visiting art exhibitions
- road tripping
- meeting new people
3. VisitBritain MIDAS research 2022
In 2022, our partner, VisitBritain undertook comprehensive research with international leisure travellers. They spoke to global tourists from many markets, including Australia.
Whilst the research focuses on perceptions and experiences of Britain, there are insights which are useful for the Scottish tourism industry.
Long-haul markets see Britain more consistently as offering heritage and history, the ability to roam and explore a broad mix of "must-do" experiences (both old & new).
4. Official statistics and partners
The International Passenger Survey is a continuous survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics. It covers all major air, sea and tunnel ports.
The survey provides information on the numbers and types of visits made by people travelling to and from the UK. Anonymous face to face interviews are undertaken with a sample of passengers entering and leaving the UK.
Find out more on the survey methodology on ons.gov.uk.
Read further ONS publications on ons.gov.uk.
Read how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on the IPS data collection on visitbritain.org.