Glasgow was sixth on the new Office of National Statistics International Passenger Survey list of most visited towns and cities in the UK with 521,000 visitors – a 10 per cent increase on 2011.
VisitScotland has welcomed the news that Edinburgh last year attracted 1.3 million overseas visitors, making it the second most-visited destination in the UK behind Olympics Games host, London.
Glasgow was sixth on the new Office of National Statistics International Passenger Survey list of most visited towns and cities in the UK with 521,000 visitors – a 10 per cent increase on 2011.
Inverness (213,000 visitors) and Aberdeen (208,000) also feature in the top 20 in 14th and 17th place respectively.
Last year also saw a boost in the Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) markets. Scotland saw a 30 per cent increase in the number of visitors from these countries (82,000 overall). Glasgow enjoyed a 54 per cent rise in these markets, while Edinburgh saw an increase of 10 per cent.
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said: “It is fabulous to see Edinburgh and Glasgow proving so popular among overseas visitors. Both cities boast a wealth of things to see and these figures bode well for 2014, when we welcome the world with the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and the second Year of Homecoming.”
Mr Cantlay added: “The emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China are important to Scottish tourism as they show considerable potential for growth. Our studies show that visitors from these countries enjoy quintessentially Scottish things, including our spectacular scenery, our castles, our golf and our whisky.
“The attraction of experiencing the high end quality produce and service of Scotland played a part in the increase in visitors from Brazil and China. We are greatly encouraged by this increase and hope to welcome more BRIC visitors to Scotland in the coming years.”
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