Visitors from Italy

1. Market performance 2024

In 2024, Italy was Scotland’s sixth largest international source market, measured by number of visits. It was ranked eighth by expenditure and seventh by number of nights.

Italian visitors accounted for 4% of all overseas visitors to Scotland and 3% of all overseas spend in Scotland in 2024.

2024 marked the first year that Italian visits, nights, and spend exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

The number of visitors from Italy increased substantially in 2024, up 58% on 2023.

Similarly, expenditure increased significantly by 111% compared to 2023 and by 47% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Nights were also up 51% on 2023.

The average spend per visit in 2024 was £665, a significant increase of 34% from 2023.

The average length of stay in 2024 was 6.8 nights, down slightly from an average of 7.09 nights in 2023.

Source: International Passenger Survey, 2024

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 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.