Press release: Growing international demand in Ayrshire

Growing international visitor demand

Ayrshire and Arran’s tourism and events industry is joining forces for the first time on a pilot project to bring more international visitors to the region.

Delivered by Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the region’s three local authorities – North, East and South Ayrshire Councils – with support from national tourism and events organisation, VisitScotland, the one-year pilot project will launch this summer.

It aims to create a strong, unified tourism and events offer that will increase international demand and strengthen the region’s visitor economy.

International visitors are key to growing the value of Scotland’s visitor economy as they stay longer and spend more. Ayrshire and Arran welcomed 5.8 million day visits and over 600,000 overnight trips in 2024 however only 8.6% of these overnight trips were from international visitors.

The project is funded by the Chamber and the three local authorities, representing the Regional Economic Partnership’s first coordinated approach to promote the region internationally.

It will address the region’s visibility with international markets at major travel trade events, such as VisitScotland Connect and World Travel Market, and includes the appointment of a dedicated Regional Visitor Economy Officer who will build relationships with travel trade organisations (tour operators and travel agents) that influence where international visitors stay.

Some of Team Ayrshire at VisitScotland Connect in April. Credit: Lynsey Eckford

A focus on golf-plus itineraries

The project will focus on golf-led travel packages for the North American market, combining championship golf with premium accommodation, heritage experiences, coastal activities, and Ayrshire’s world class food and drink. Specialist golf tourism events, such as the PGA Show, will also be targeted.

Golf is a key draw for international visitors – particularly from the North American market – and Ayrshire and Arran are uniquely placed to benefit with three Open Championship venues in the region.

As well as raising the region’s profile internationally, the project will also ensure businesses are ready to benefit from the increased interest, with support to develop their tourism and events experiences to make them suitable for international travel packages.

If the pilot is successful, the ambition is for the project to be extended into a three-year delivery model to continue building international growth.

The initiative follows a visit to the region by VisitScotland Chief Executive Vicki Miller last year. That visit highlighted the region’s reliance on domestic tourism, which has been slower to recover post-pandemic than international demand due to the cost-of-living crisis.

International visitors are crucial for Scotland’s visitor economy as they often stay longer and spend more with local businesses. Ayrshire has no shortage of exceptional tourism and events experiences that we know are a draw for international markets. Through this targeted trade activity, the region can become an even more attractive destination for international visitors, creating a lasting, positive impact for the businesses and communities.

Vicki Miller, Chief Executive, VisitScotland

We know Ayrshire has a strong tourism offer, but we’re not yet capturing the full value it can deliver—particularly in international markets. The challenge is visibility, and making sure Ayrshire is part of the decisions that shape where people travel. This project is about addressing that directly - taking a coordinated ‘Team Ayrshire’ approach to raising our profile and, crucially, supporting businesses to convert that interest into bookings and growth for the region.

Claire Baird, Chief Executive of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce

In Ayrshire we’ve long recognised that strong partnership working reaps benefits beyond mere economies of scale. With such a diverse offer and so many talented and innovative people in the tourism industry across Ayrshire and its Islands it makes total sense to join forces to make sure we capitalise on our rich variety, and crucially, our messaging, to make Ayrshire the destination of choice which it rightly deserves to be.

Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader East Ayrshire Council and Chair of the Ayrshire Regional Economic Partnership Board