Press release: "cautious optimism" as domestic tourism... - News

Article published 18/12/2025

Scotland only GB nation to record growth in domestic overnight trips

New figures published by VisitScotland show that more people from across Great Britain have visited Scotland this year, compared to the same period in 2024.

Statistics released from the latest Great Britain Tourism Survey show that, in the first three quarters of 2025 (January - September), there were 7.7 million overnight trips in Scotland, generating £2.8 billion in visitor spend. This is a rise of over a fifth (22%) *

Over the same period, there were 63.8 million tourism day visits, which generated £3.1 billion.

Domestic tourism remains one of Scotland’s most important markets. Visitors from Scotland, England, and Wales are more likely to travel year-round and explore different parts of the country, helping to support local businesses and communities.

Browse all domestic day visit figures for Scotland.

Browse all domestic overnight figures for Scotland.

*18% growth on 2024 spend when adjusted for inflation.

These figures demonstrate Scotland’s continuing attraction to domestic tourists and are a vote of confidence for our innovative, resilient, and dynamic tourism and hospitality businesses, which make such an important contribution to the economy.

Against the backdrop of the cost-of-living-crisis both the number of domestic tourism visits and spend in Scotland are showing an increase on last year, outperforming Britain as a whole, which reflects the strength of the sector as we move towards the New Year.

Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Business

As the only GB nation to record growth in overnight trips during the first three quarters of 2025, these new figures signal a welcome increase in confidence in Scottish tourism.

While we know this market remains unpredictable, today’s announcement should be viewed with cautious optimism, indicating that, despite the cost-of-living, interest in our unique and diverse offering remains strong.

Domestic tourism plays a vital role, not just for the number of visitors and the value of their spend in Scotland, but for the resilience and sustainability it brings to the sector and the wider economy.

Reinvigorating domestic tourism remains a top priority for VisitScotland.

This year we have delivered campaigns to encourage days out, worked with a variety of partners, such as Expedia and Tripadvisor, to reach that important domestic audience and driven strong results from our social media and influencer activity.

Vicki Miller, Chief Executive, VisitScotland