Visit Scotland | Alba

Overview

  • In today’s rapidly changing world, having an informed outlook is vital. Looking at consumer trends can help Scottish tourism grow and adapt. On this page you will find two reports to review.
  • We commissioned Euromonitor International to highlight consumer trends that will influence the Scottish tourism and events industry from 2024 to 2027.
  • They used their expert knowledge of global trends. They also drew from the insights from their International Lifestyles Survey 2023 with over 40,000 global respondents. We have provided their trends document to download. Please read the copyright information under section 1.
  • We also looked back at our own trends work over the last ten years. Our PDF shows the trends which we have highlighted in the past and remain relevant today.

In this article:

1. Euromonitor travel trends for Scotland

In 2023, we commissioned Euromonitor International to highlight key global trends which are relevant to Scottish tourism. For this, Euromonitor International drew on their global insights resources and trends knowledge.

The report provides a summary of the trends as well as pen portraits of travellers and case studies of businesses and organisations.

The report includes source material that is the exclusive property of Euromonitor International and its licensors.

All such material is © Euromonitor International Ltd (2023) and provided without any warranties or representations about accuracy and completeness. Any reliance on such material is made at users' own risk.

Further sharing, disclosure, publication or making available of all or part of the material contained in this document (or any data or other material derived from it) may require Euromonitor’s prior written consent.

The following notice should be included "© Euromonitor International Ltd, 2024 (plus year of disclosure). All rights reserved."

Key travel trends for Scotland 2024-2027

  • People with passion

    Evolution towards more connected travel experiences. These give rise to a tourism model that focuses on deep, authentic community engagement and tailored journeys. This model also places people at its heart.

  • Places and immersive experiences

    A global shift towards authentic travel. This prompts the industry to offer deeper cultural connections and personalised exploration. This is particularly relevant for Scotland's rich heritage and hidden gems.

  • Power to change

    A new generation of travellers are increasingly eager to access responsible and meaningful experiences and events. Businesses will need to continue to adapt and embrace to fulfil this desire.

     

© Euromonitor International Ltd, 2024. All rights reserved

Travel Trends for Scotland

Published January 2024

Download (3Mb)

2. A decade of consumer trends

It has been ten years since our first trends publication back in 2013. We set out to inform and inspire Scottish tourism businesses on consumer interests and drivers that influence our industry.

We looked back at all our past trends papers and highlighted those we felt continue to offer opportunities for the sector.

Key trends

Wellness

Includes: escape and recharge, connection to nature, all year round potential, spiritual connection.

Conscious traveller

Includes: green is important to me, "loco-mational" travel.

Distinctive Scotland

Includes: cultural noir, reading tourism's potential, "mod-stalgia".

Changing traveller

Includes: solo travel, "bleisure", modern clans.

A decade of consumer trends

Published March 2024

Download (3Mb)

Related links

About our visitors

Find out who visits Scotland, what they're interested in, and what they're looking for.

About our industry

Research on various types of businesses within the tourism industry. Insights into employment within the sector.

Responsible tourism research

Find research into responsible tourism in Scotland. This includes reports on visitor, community, and industry insights.

Regions

Research and insights on regions across Scotland.