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Overview

  • Swiss visitors enjoy visiting Scotland for our breathtaking scenery, similar to their own, but with a distinct cultural charm and dramatic coastlines.
  • In 2023, Switzerland was Scotland’s tenth largest international source market measured by number of visits. It was eleventh by expenditure and thirteenth by number nights.
  • Swiss visitors accounted for 3% of all overseas visits to Scotland and 2% of all overseas spend in Scotland in 2023.
  • The Swiss market performed strongly in 2023, with the number of visits and expenditure surpassing both 2022 and pre-pandemic levels.

In this article:

Key statistics

110,000

total number of trips by Swiss visitors to Scotland in 2023

677,000

total number of nights spent in Scotland by Swiss visitors in Scotland in 2023

£72

total spend by Swiss visitors to Scotland in 2023

6.2

average nights per trip by Swiss visitors to Scotland in 2023

Source: IPS, 2023 (numbers have been rounded)

1. Executive summary 2023

In 2023, Switzerland was Scotland’s tenth largest international source market measured by number of visits. It was thirteenth by number of nights and eleventh by spend. Swiss visitors accounted for 3% of all overseas visits to Scotland and 2% of all overseas spend in Scotland in 2023.

2023 saw travellers from Switzerland taking more visits to Scotland than ever before. The total number of visits increased by 21% from 2022 and by 59% from pre-pandemic, reaching record levels. Expenditure and number of nights also reached record heights in 2023.

The average spend per visit in 2023 was £650. The average spend per night was £106. The average length of stay was 6.2 nights.

Source: IPS, 2023

2. 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 Switzerland.

Whilst the research focuses on perceptions and experiences of Britain, there are insights which are useful for the Scottish tourism industry.

Read the full VisitBritain MIDAS research

3. 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 detailed 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.

6. Additional research resources

VisitBritain’s IPS data viewer by UK nation

visitbritain.org/inbound

VisitBritain's market profile for Swiss to Britain

visitbritain.org/switzerland

VisitBritain’s international market segments

visitbritain.org/customer

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