Market overview 2010

1. SCOTLAND VISITOR SURVEY 2011 REGIONAL RESULTS: HIGHLANDS Market overview 2010 The Highlands attracted 2.1 million visitors in 2010, spending £536 million. 21% of visitors are from overseas. Note: Data in this box and the first bullet point below is sourced from the 2010 UK Tourism Survey and International Passenger Survey. All other results in the factsheet are from the Scotland Visitor Survey. The 2011 Scotland Visitor Survey was conducted for VisitScotland by TNS-RI with fieldwork from July to October. Over this period 1,882 overnight leisure visitors were surveyed including 1,027 visitors to the Highlands area. Further factsheets containing results for the other areas included in the survey (Scottish Borders, Edinburgh City, Glasgow City, Cairngorms National Park, Argyll & the Isles, Fife & St Andrews and Scotland as a whole) are available at www.visitscotland.org. The national tourism volume surveys (UK Tourism Survey and International Passenger Survey) recorded 2.1 million tourists visiting the Highlands in 2010. This equates to 14% of all visits taken to Scotland. The largest overseas markets are Germany, France and the USA. The profile of visitors to the Highlands is close to that for Scotland as a whole with 45% of visitors to this area aged between 25 and 44, compared to 41% of all Scottish visitors. The following information relates to summer visitors to the Highlands area staying overnight in Scotland. Most visitors to the Highlands visit the area as part of a wider visit, touring Scotland (48%) or on a visit based in the countryside (25%). 75% of visitors to the Highlands spend one or more nights in the area. Amongst these visitors the average length of stay is 4.4 nights. 36% of overnight visitors stay in the area for 1 or 2 nights, 28% for 3 or 4 nights and 36% for longer. Visittype Length of stay Highlands 4.4 nights 75%of visitors to the Highlands spend one or more nights there 32%of visitors are on their first ever visit to Scotland

2. The Visitor Experience Top reasons for choosing to visit the Highlands include the scenery and landscape, the history and recommendations. Also, a fifth of visitors were visiting a particular attraction and/or revisiting following a previous positive experience. While around a third of visitors start to plan their visit 3 to 6 months in advance, 13% start planning less than a fortnight beforehand. 12% of visitors made no bookings before travelling. Overseas visitors tend to plan and book further in advance than UK residents. ? Dreaming Planning Overall 55% of visitors to the Highlands who live outside of Scotland drove to Scotland, 21% flew and 9% travelled by rail. Those who flew were most likely to arrive at Edinburgh airport (47%). 59% of visitors to the Highlands who lived outside of Scotland, had connections with Scotland. Connections were most likely to be through family or friends living in Scotland, or ancestors who had lived in Scotland. Travel Connections to Scotland Lead Time Nearly a third of visitors to the Highlands stayed in a B&B or guesthouse (45% of overseas visitors compared to 25% from the UK), 26% stayed in a hotel and 15% stayed in self- catering accommodation (18% of UK visitors vs. 8% from overseas). 13% stayed in a hostel. Activities Accommodation The most popular activities on visits to the Highlands were walking, sightseeing, visiting historic buildings and trying local food. Overseas visitors were more likely to visit historic buildings while UK were more likely to take part in walking. Over half of visitors to the Highlands shared their experiences online after they returned home (54%) with 42% uploading photos (e.g. to flickr) and 30% updating their Facebook status regarding their trip. 13% left reviews on a website such as Tripadvisor. ! Most visitors to the Highlands ate out in pubs and bars or cafes during their time in Scotland. 53% ate in good quality restaurants while 41% ate in hotels. 50% of overseas visitors ate in budget restaurants compared to 31% of visitors from the UK. Eating out Sharing 42% 13% 30%

3. Quality of Experience Aspects of the Highlands visitor experience most likely to receive a ‘very satisfied’ rating include online information for trip planning, friendly and efficient service in accommodation, information on local places to visit and all aspects relating to the VisitScotland Information Centres. However, large proportions of visitors provided more negative ratings for the cost of travel to and in Scotland and opportunities to attend local events/festivals. Planning Satisfaction with different aspects of experience in Highlands Less/not satisfied Fairly satisfied Very satisfied Activities VisitScotland Information Centres Travel Eating out Useful online information Useful offline information Convenient air routes Convenient sea routes Cost of travel Public transport Accommodation Availability of low cost accommodation Availability of good quality accommodation Value for money Friendly and efficient service Information locally on places to visit Value for money of attractions Opportunities to attend local events/festivals Value for money Availability of local produce Local people Opportunities to interact with locals Overall satisfaction Ease of finding Welcoming feel Friendly & efficient service Availability of useful information Note: All 1,027 visitors to the Highlands were asked the above questions but data excludes those who provided no responses for aspects they had not experienced.

4. Quality of Experience 93% of visitors were satisfied and 97% will definitely/probably recommend the Highlands based on their experiences in the area. While 71% of all visitors will definitely/probably revisit the Highlands in the next 5 years, this proportion varies from 75% of UK residents to 60% of international visitors. Less/not satisfied Overall satisfaction with the Highlands Three-quarters of visitors were ‘very satisfied’ with their overall experience in the Highlands while 19% were ‘fairly satisfied’. Similar ratings were provided by both overseas and domestic visitors. Fairlysatisfied Very satisfied Less likely/unlikely Recommending the Highlands Probably The vast majority of visitors would definitely recommend the Highlands as a destination (88%). Overseas visitors (91%) were more likely than domestic visitors (86%) to do so. The age group that is most likely to definitely recommend the Highlands and Skye is 45-54 year olds (95%). Definitely Returning to the Highlands in the next 5 years Probably/ definitely not Half of visitors to the Highlands state that they will definitely return in the next 5 years (55% of UK residents compared to 38% overseas). Those aged 35-44 were more likely to be definitely intending to revisit the Highlands (55%). Fairly likely Definitely Probably Most enjoyed aspects What could be improved? The Highlands are frequently mentioned as one of the highlights of a visit to Scotland, as illustrated in some of the statements provided by visitors. When asked what could have improved their visit to Scotland, issues raised included opening hours , transport and value for money. The statements below illustrate these issues. “National park and Highlands - simply driving/walking through is breathtaking.“ “Better transportation services in the Highlands, being able to drive in the Highlands (difficult with the left hand driving and single lane roads....” “B&B in Skye - breakfast between 7.30 & 8.30, they just wanted you in and out ( and your money of course.)” “I also really enjoyed Skye which I would visit again when I return.” “Took The Hairy Coo up into the Highlands. Very entertaining, very knowledgeable. wonderful trip. “ The 2011 Scotland Visitor Survey was conducted for VisitScotland by TNS Research International. For further information please contact: • VisitScotland, Ocean Point One, 94 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, EH6 6JH  0131 472 2222  research@visitscotland.com www.visitscotland.org Disclaimer: VisitScotland has published this report in good faith to update stakeholders on its activity. VisitScotland has taken all reasonable steps to confirm the information contained in the publication is correct. However, VisitScotland does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy of any information disclosed and accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions.