UK Tourism: Scotland Travel Down by 29%

Scotland, view of Lochness and Urquhart castle during a stormy day. Photo by Moyan Brenn.

After the recent vote on Scottish independence, tourism in the country is suffering. Tourism is down by almost a third. Experts thought that an independent vote would mean the death of Scottish tourism. It appears that that is not the case. Even with the country remaining in the UK, it seems that people are not visiting Scotland. This fact spells bad things for the Scottish economy. Tourism helps to boost the economy in the country each year. Experts believe that without the usual surge of tourists in the country, the economy in the area will suffer a great deal. Around 200,000 people work in tourism in Scotland. These people want job security, but in the current climate, roles are uncertain.

In the lead up to the referendum, earlier this month, experts noticed a trend in people avoiding Scotland. People suggested that the dip in tourism had something to do with the upcoming vote. Experts believed that after a solid ‘no’ vote, there would be a surge in the Scottish tourism industry. Now we can see that that is not the case. Earlier in the month, the Scottish people decided that they would stay in the United Kingdom. Many experts thought that this would spell a new lease of life for the Scottish tourism industry. It did not, though, and instead the industry has fallen further still. Experts are now puzzled about what could be causing the fall in the tourism industry.

One of the main theories about the tourism problem comes down to cost. That is the cost to tourists when travelling to Scotland. It is anything but a cheap vacation. Tourists can stay in many of the great cities in Europe for half the price of a hotel in Scotland. With the advent of comparison sites and discount deals, there is no need for tourists to visit Scotland. People find that they can go to any city in Europe for a much cheaper price than staying in Scotland. For example, it is now cheaper to stay in Paris than it is to stay in Edinburgh. Using Venere hotels, tourists can find reasonable hotel deals online. That in itself could mean the death for UK tourism. Many people would prefer the stunning Parisian streets to the cobbles of Edinburgh.

There may be another reason that the Scottish isles are suffering by way of tourism. During the summer, Edinburgh is busy and frantic. The Edinburgh Festival means that the city attracts many tourists. When winter hits, the city again attracts many people with its stunning German style markets. We are now in the middle point between these two tourism peaks. It may be that the slumping tourism is suffering a natural change in the market. When the Christmas season comes around, it could be that we see many more tourists flocking to Scotland. Experts think this reason is not viable. In recent years, there has been a steady decline in tourism in Edinburgh. The fact that so few people visit the area is causing the local business owners to worry.

The future of tourism in Scotland looks bleak for now. The tourism groups in the country will have to take drastic measures if they want to win back tourists. Many, who are opting for cheaper destinations, see no reason to visit the UK at all. There are many more fascinating destinations in Europe. That in itself means that UK tourism as a whole is losing out on vital money. The rest of 2014 will be a vital time in Scottish history. After choosing to stay with the UK, the country now has yet another battle.