AMERICAN tourists have spent almost £200 million more in Scotland since the Brexit vote as the slump in sterling attracted thousands more sightseers to the country.

Visitor numbers have soared since last June's vote with total tourist spending hitting £1,850 million in the year to March 2017 – up by almost 10 per cent on the previous year.

American visitors have rocketed to almost 600,000 – a 20 per cent annual boost – and have sent cash registers ringing to the tune of £640 million.

National tourist agency VisitScotland chief executive Malcolm Roughead said that Scotland continues to “punch above its weight” in a hugely competitive global market, but remains as a ‘must-visit’ destination.

Mr Roughhead said: “We will, of course, not rest on our laurels.

"We need to think bigger about Scotland as a tourism destination to ensure we fulfil our potential – every visitor must get a quality experience every single time.”

The release of the international figures was well received by other tourists chiefs, although there was concern that those covering domestic visits had been delayed.

Marc Crothall, chief executive Scottish Tourism Alliance, said that without a tally of visits by others in the UK and ‘staycationers’, it was hard to gauge the full picture.

He said: “The latest visitor figures for are hugely encouraging and this should offer a welcome boost to the industry that we can continue to perform successfully as Scotland’s main economic driver during these periods of political and economic uncertainty.

“However we anticipate a slight drop in the domestic market so today’s news brings renewed confidence in our international markets.

“Tourism businesses in Scotland continue to face numerous challenges in their ability to deliver these ‘write home about’ experiences as a result of the current perfect storm of rising costs impacting businesses. “The continued collaboration between the tourism industry, Scottish Government and our public agencies has strengthened the industry, certainly over the past two years, and we look forward to continuing our regular conversations with Scottish Government to bring about the changes needed to enable Scotland’s tourism industry to be even more competitive as a destination.”

Tourism secretary Fiona Hyslop said the results were “great news” for the economy, and hailed the drawing power of Scotland’s “world class” attractions.

She said: “Our industry continues to flourish acting as a magnet for tourists drawn to our world-class attractions.

“The rise in overseas tourists is encouraging. Visitors are spending generously when they visit Scotland, particularly those coming from North America.”

The number of overnight stays by overseas visitors was also up, rising to almost 2.75 million, an increase of 3 per cent on the previous 12 months.

European visits also increased, although spending fell from about £883 million to £833 million."

The Herald:

ANALYSIS

THE path from Scotland to the Americas used to be a well-worn path, but mostly in one direction.

But now Caledonia is playing host to a growing number of American visitors seeking misty lochs, rounds on the links in the home of golf, and the delights of the whisky trail.

And they are spending money too – with millions of extra dollars being added the tourist industry’s coffers in the past 12 months to March, on top of the millions spent the year before.

Barbara Clark, of national tourist agency VisitScotland, said that although a weak pound has helped, there are many and varied reasons why the Americans are coming.

It’s a market VisitScotland is keen to exploit, and behind the scenes, a great deal has been done to sell Scotland’s charms Stateside.

She said: “The American market is doing very well and some of that is economic as it’s a bit more attractive to come to the UK and to Scotland now that the exchange rate is so affordable.

“There are also a lot of new airlines with more capacity flying to Scotland directly so people do not have to travel as far as they did in years past.

“We have been working closely in the US with websites such as Tripadvisor and reaching out digitally through social media, which helps us target audiences better and find out what they like and do not like when they are booking a holiday.

“A lot of intelligence goes on to our digital channels to let us tailor adverts to what people are looking for, and our own website – which is very widely used – can tell them lots about Scotland from its best attractions to its most popular accommodation.”

Scotland is now also reaping the benefits of being put on the world stage by recent large-scale events such as the staging of the Commonwealth games in Glasgow in 2014 and the same year’s Ryder Cup.

Both events were shown to a global audience both on TV and the internet, showcasing the country as never before.

And while those events are now receding into the past, the lustre of staging them has yet to wear off and they continue to loom large in tourists’ thoughts.

Ms Clark said: “There’s no doubt about it that big events have a ‘halo’ effect which goes on for some time.

“The Ryder Cup especially resonated with American audiences and it’s fair to say it helped attract visitors.”

But as well as hard work and good marketing, Scotland also has another ace up its sleeve when it comes to appealing to tourists - the friendliness of the welcome.

Ms Clark said: “The things that people talk about when they talk about Scotland to us, other than the landscape, is the people and the hospitality and reception they received. “Simply put, the people of Scotland help market Scotland, and there’s no doubt that helps attract future visits tremendously.

“Word of mouth is important, and the we know that the welcome they received and the friendly people they met is something people talk about when they go home.

“And that’s the way they talk about Scotland.”