Overview
- Tourism is a force for good, creating economic and social value across communities in Scotland.
- As part of work underwayto engage with our local communities and listen to the views on the ground, we have conducted research with Scotland's residents.
- The research was commissioned by VisitScotland and carried out by 56 Degrees Insight.
- We studied how Scotland’s residents feel about the Scottish tourism industry and explored their opinionon therole of tourism and the positive and negatives of tourism.
- Fieldwork took place between 27 October and 4 November 2021 and 1,000 respondents completed an online survey. Further information on the sample is available within the full report to download.
Full report - Scotland's residents' view on tourism 2021
Published March 2022
A focus on the role of tourism and community engagment.
In this article:
1. Key Statistics
87%
agree that tourism in Scotland helps us to develop a positive reputation overseas
77%
agree that tourism adds to the vitality of Scotland's communities
74%
agree that tourism helps to protect and conserve Scotland's built heritage
71%
agree that tourism connects local communities to other cultures
2. Executive Summary
Views on tourism
- There is an agreement amongst residents that the tourism industry is important for Scotland, with 94% of respondents saying they view the industry positively.
- The wide-ranging role of tourism to Scotland was recognised by the residents we surveyed.
Positives and Negatives
- The top-of-mind benefits about the industry were the economic benefits, the opportunity to showcase the beauty of Scotland and employment opportunities.
- The top-of-mind negatives associated with tourism were overcrowding, increased litter and a negative carbon footprint/impact on climate change.
Perceptions on Local Area
- Around a third of Scotland residents feel that the area they live in is undoubtedly a holiday or short break destination (32%). 33% feel their area is visited for holidays and short breaks by some people.
- For those living in tourism areas, 84% agree that locally tourism supports jobs in food, retail and other sectors. 51% feel it adds to the amount of traffic on the roads and results in congestion and delays.
Recovery from Covid-19
- 87% of those living in tourist areas believe that tourism will aid recovery of their local area from the Covid-19 pandemic.
3. Methodology
The research used an online survey based on a representative sample of Scotland residents. The analysis provides a representative viewpoint of the Scottish adult population. The survey was commissioned by VisitScotland and carried out by 56 Degrees Insight.
Fieldwork took place between 27 October and 4 November 2021. Respondents were recruited from Yonder Data Solutions’ consumer panel, and 1,000 respondents completed the survey.