Two million people visit Scotland from overseas in first half of the year, figures show

Scotland is a “destination of choice for international visitors”, according to a tourism body whose figures show nearly two million visits were made to the country from overseas in the first half of 2024.

In total 1,975,000 international visits were made to Scotland between the start of January and the end of June, according to the figures from national tourism organisation VisitScotland.

This is a 14% increase on the same period the year before, and a 46% increase on the same period in 2019.

Altogether international tourists are estimated to have spent almost £1.5bn in the country during the first six months of the year, an increase of 2% on 2023 and 30% on 2019, after adjusting for inflation.

VisitScotland CEO Vicki Miller said: “These figures show that Scotland continues to be a destination of choice for international visitors in 2024 and is still outperforming other parts of the UK.

“They are a testament to the strength of Scotland’s offering with visits and spend up on 2019 and 2023, which was a record-breaking year for international visitors.

“These visitors, who stay longer and spend more, are crucial to our industry and the visitor economy, supporting businesses and communities across the country.

“Scotland’s strong international recovery has been a result of the work carried out by VisitScotland, industry and partners to drive demand over the last few years.

“We must continue building on this across our key markets, inspiring both domestic and international visitors through the channels we know they use to drive the visitor economy, growing its value to Scotland.”

The biggest year-on-year rise, in terms of visits and spend, was seen in visitors from North America.

Some 54% more visits were made from North America in 2024 compared with 2023, with a 29% increase in the amount of money spent.

According to the results of a 2023 VisitScotland survey, more than 70% of international visitors to Scotland stay in two or more places during their trip.

The survey also showed the main reasons people visit Scotland were landscapes and scenery, history and culture, outdoor activities, and Scotland’s people and ancestral ties.

VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation and it has the core purpose of driving the visitor economy, growing its value in Scotland.