The purple pound is the term used to describe the spending power of disabled people.
In the UK almost one in four people are disabled (24%).
In September 2024, the Scottish Government will publish information from the 2022 census. Then we'll know how many of the Scottish population are disabled.
Browse disability and other UK household statistics on gov.uk.
Disabilities can include both physical and mental impairments. Some impairments and medical conditions may not be visible, such as hearing loss, arthritis, or autism. People may not always disclose these when booking or using tourism facilities.
As a business, providing accessible inclusive experiences can have financial benefits, and it ensures legal compliance. We provide information and advice on how to engage with this market in our accessible and inclusive toolkit.
£1.69 billion
estimated total expenditure on all tourism trips in Scotland by those with an impairment
£730 million
spend by UK visitors to Scotland who have an impairment
£850 million
spend by day visitors to Scotland with an impairment
£106 million
spend by international visitors to Scotland with an impairment
Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey and Great Britain Day Visits Survey (July 2022 to June 2023) International Passenger Survey (2018)
In 2023, we commissioned the Scotland Visitor Survey to gather insight on visitor attitudes and behaviours. The scope of the survey was leisure overnight visitors only.
The survey explores all aspects of the visitor experience in Scotland. Further information on the background, methodology, and key highlights are also available.
Published June 2024
Around one in ten visitors (9%) of visitors to Scotland stated they had a long-term health condition, impairment or disability. Of these:
Around one in ten visitors to Scotland (9%) also stated they had a specific access requirement or other special needs (for example, parking, wheelchair or buggy access, disabled facilities or vision impairment). This proportion rose to 13% for Scotland residents and 11% for visitors from the rest of the UK.
Based on a ten-point scale and those choosing 9 or 10 on the scale, 35% of visitors with access requirements stated that it was very easy to get around during their trip in Scotland.
19% of those with access requirements encountered barriers or problems. The most common issues centered around stairs or lack of elevator, parking issues and uneven, narrow paths or cobbles.
Source: Scotland Visitor Survey, 2023
The data presented on this page is taken from the following three surveys:
The latest statistics from the Great Britain Tourism Survey show the following for the 12 months from July 2022 to June 2023:
The latest statistics from the Great Britain Day Visits Survey show the following for the 12 months from July 2022 to June 2023:
According to the International Passenger Survey, international visitors with an impairment took 123,000 overnight trips in Scotland. Collectively, they spent £106 million.
Those with a health condition and their travelling group were more likely to stay longer and spend more than the average international visitor to Scotland.
They stayed on average 9.8 nights in Scotland, compared to the average of 6.8 nights for all inbound visitors.
The average spend per international overnight trip in Scotland among those with an impairment and their travelling companions was £862. This compares to the average of £638 for all inbound visits.
All data for domestic overnight trips and tourism day visits relate to trips / visits taken in Scotland by residents of Great Britain. Due to changes in survey methodology, this data cannot be directly compared with previous data.
An additional question was asked in 2018 within the International Passenger Survey regarding accessibility requirements. This remains the last available data.
In 2022, our partner, VisitBritain, undertook comprehensive research with international leisure travellers. They spoke to global tourists or prospective tourists from many markets around the world.
The research focused on motivations, influences, and decisions and also explored accessible and inclusive tourism.
Read the full VisitBritain Midas researchBrowse the findings of the ninth annual Access Survey from 2023.
Find qualitative research on disabled people’s experiences with activities, goods and services in the UK in 2022.
Read the findings which provide an insight into the needs of those with a health condition.