12th March 2024
Making tourism more accessible - survey suggests a real opportunity for Scottish tourism

Last week, VisitScotland reminded us that one in five people across the UK live with a disability or impairment and contribute to a collective spending power of £249 billion per year. The purpose was to remind Scottish tourism businesses of the importance of finding ways to make their businesses as accessible as possible.

But what do we know about this large segment of the population in Scotland - what are the barriers they face when it comes to taking holidays, what are their concerns, and how can Scotland’s tourism industry better address these concerns?

In late January, 56 Degree Insight worked with Dr Carol Sargent from Sargent Group Consulting to design some key questions and incorporated them in our quarterly representative survey of 1,000+ Scots - Scotland’s Viewpoint.

Key findings to emerge show that there are opportunities to not just make accommodation more accessible, but to improve planning, getting around a destination, information on activities and food and drink and show this community they are being listened to, encouraging these households with people living with health conditions and impairments to book holidays in Scotland.

Read more by downloading the detailed infographic, available by clicking the image below

15th February 2024
The latest Scottish Tourism Index suggests some small signs of recovery for domestic tourism in 2024

The January 2024 Scottish Tourism Index provides an overview of how the Scottish home holiday market might look for the year ahead. Some 1,006 Scots were interviewed in late January with the primary purpose of establishing the characteristics of Scots’ holiday-taking attitudes and behaviours. As surveys are undertaken at identical times each year, it provides a directly comparable set of measures year-on-year, ensuring predictions for the year ahead can be fine tuned by comparing against previous surveys results. In the report from the survey (downloadable by clicking on the image below) we provide some contextual analysis of the extent to which the economic situation might continue to dampen and shape holiday demand. We then look back at Scots’ holiday behaviours in 2023 and then forward to 2024 to establish where we may see potential growth as well as continued challenges.

When the Scottish Tourism Index was launched in 2020, the main driver of consumer behaviours was Covid-19. As we emerged from the Pandemic, the economic impacts it left behind along with the energy crisis, the war in Ukraine and Government fiscal policies have meant that the cost of living crisis has replaced Covid as the main determinant of consumer holiday behaviours. Last year, whilst more Scots rediscovered foreign holiday destinations, this was often at the expense of home holidays as smaller family budgets constrained domestic spending on hospitality. At the start of 2024 there is some initial evidence that this spending squeeze may have ‘bottomed out’ and although still likely to constrain what we do in the immediate term, our disposable incomes are beginning to show some signs of recovery - and the home holiday market may start a journey back to recovery..

Read more by downloading the detailed infographic, available by clicking the image below

14th November 2023
The October 2023 Scottish Tourism Index suggests a downturn in home holidays this year

The October 2023 Scottish Tourism Index provides an overview of the holiday behaviours of Scots this year, focusing on domestic and international travel patterns. Over 1,000 Scots were interviewed in late October and 65% of them had taken a holiday so far - likely to rise to 72% by year-end. However, there's a slight decline in holidays taken within Scotland compared with 2022, On the other hand, the survey suggests that European destinations are witnessing a resurgence among Scots - especially Spain and, to a lesser extent, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Greece.

The survey backs up the findings from the recent survey of tourism businesses undertaken by 56 Degree Insight for the Scottish Tourism Alliance - economic factors continue to significantly influence holiday decisions, with large proportions of Scots affected by the continued high costs of living. The survey saw these impacts peak in April and there are encouraging signs in this survey that these negative impacts are slowly decreasing. Indeed, three in ten Scots were able to take more holidays than they initially feared at the start of the year.

In terms of domestic holiday trends, there's a notable decrease in the number of breaks taken in Scotland, with 52% taking fewer breaks than in 2022 and 45% opting for shorter durations. Economic constraints have led to a shift away from serviced accommodation towards self-catering and reduced spending on many activities, especially eating out. The findings suggest that the trend of reduced domestic holidays and increased interest in European destinations is likely to continue into 2024 - with long haul destinations also seeing recovery for the first time since the pandemic.

Read more by downloading the detailed infographic, available by clicking the image below

LATEST!!
20th September 2023
Remote working, Workcations, Digital Nomads - what does the blurring of the lines between business and leisure travel mean for Scottish tourism?

Workcations are a work and travel trend that combine working and taking a vacation. They're on the rise, thanks in a large part to the increased location flexibility and rising worker burnout. For many, it has reshaped the way people think about work and leisure, allowing them to explore new places while staying productive in their careers.

It's a relatively new trend in the UK and consequently, we don’t know a lot about it – what is the potential scale and how can the tourism industry benefit? Working in partnership with Jemma Reid from JR Events, Sales & Consultancy and Yvonne Wagoun from White Stag Tourism, the 56 Degree Insight team incorporated a range of questions in the Summer 2023 wave of the Scottish Tourism Index to better understand the workcations trend as it applies to the Scottish adult population.

You can read more by clicking on the link below:

1st September 2023
A Taxing Decision: What are Scots’ views on the potential introduction of Visitor Levies in parts of Scotland?

With the 'Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill' under consideration which, if passed, will mean that Scottish Local Authorities would be able to introduce a visitor levy in Scotland from 2026, 56 Degree Insight worked with the Scottish Tourism Alliance to investigate the views of the Scottish population on the introduction of such a tax.

Questions were included in the August 2023 Scottish Tourism Index - our nationally representative survey of over 1,000 Scots - and as a similar set of questions were asked in the October survey last year, it provides an opportunity to determine whether or not public opinion has progressed over these 9 months.

You can read more by clicking on the link below:

28th August 2023
Extreme Heat: what are the likely impacts on the timing of future overseas holidays by Scots?

Since the middle of July, popular tourist destinations in and around the Mediterranean have suffered from merciless heatwaves that have caused devastation to some local communities as well as impacting on those visiting on holiday. And it’s not just been Europe with record heat also impacting parts of the USA and Canada, and most recently the cause of the heartbreaking scenes in Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

In the August wave of the Scottish Tourism Index, we asked Scots whether or not these weather impacts in the peak season may force them to reconsider when they take future holidays to these affected areas.

You can read more by clicking on the link below:

24th August 2023
Scottish tourism in 2023 - continued grounds for cautious optimism – but with lower spending and reduced budgets

At the beginning of August, the 56 Degree Insight team ran the third of the 2023 quarterly waves of the Scottish Tourism Index survey.

Now more than half way through the year and well into the main summer period, the cautious optimism we reported in April has solidified with trip taking at home and abroad ahead of the same point last year – and forecasts for the rest of 2023 suggest these trends will continue. However, the harsh realities of the economy continue to play a part with Scots attempting to spend less than in previous years, cutting back in several areas such as eating out, visiting attractions with an entrance charge and seeking the best value and deals they can find.

Read more and download our infographic by clicking on the link below.

LATEST!
14th July 2023
Is it a Land Down Under, or are we Big in Japan? Which destinations are at the top of the Bucket List for holidays amongst Scots?

We’re now well into the main summer holiday season in Scotland, with many families currently enjoying their holidays both at home and abroad.  But where are our favourite holiday destinations – and which locations top our ‘bucket list’ for future holidays?

In our most recent Scottish Tourism Index, we asked these questions to our nationally representative sample of over 1,000 Scottish residents.  Which Scottish destination is the national favourite?  And what about overseas destinations?  And we’ll also see the emergence of further flung destinations in our bucket list of places we’d love to visit.

Read more and download our infographic which answers these questions on the link below…….

31st May 2023
What is the potential for accessible tourism in Scotland?

As the populations in developed countries evolve to an increasingly older profile with higher proportions suffering from impairments and disabilities, the tourism industry has often struggled to keep up to the pace of ensuring that all aspects of the tourism experience are as accessible as possible. This is also the case in Scotland, although importantly, more and more businesses have tried to provide a more accessible experience - especially over the last couple of decades.

Commissioned by VisitAberdeenshire, 56 Degree Insight are currently working with tourism businesses in the area, providing bespoke advice and consultancy to help them to optimise their research and insight gathering to better understand their customers. In discussions with one such operator, Dalriada Luxury Lodges located just outside Stonehaven, it became clear that there was a need for more information and understanding of the needs of those with different types of impairment - how can they as a business provide a best in class experience in this area?

We were keen to help by increasing the amount of information available, and as a starting point, in April, we added a question about impairments in the respondent's household to the Scottish Tourism Index. In this and subsequent surveys, we will be able to to analyse tourism patterns amongst those with different types of impairment. This first analysis illustrates that the demand for holidays is just as high amongst most with impairments as it is the wider population - and that there is a real potential amongst the domestic markets, especially amongst those with mobility impairments.

Click on the image below to find out more…….

13th May 2023

2023 looking rather more promising for Scottish tourism than feared earlier in the year

In late April, the 56 Degree Insight team ran the second of the 2023 quarterly waves of ‘Scotland’s Viewpoint’ - a representative sample of over 1,000 Scots conducted online. A major focus was holiday taking behaviours collected through our proprietary Scottish Tourism Index survey.

The late January wave showed that there was a great deal of uncertainty about holiday taking in 2023 - with restrictions around family finances resulting from the cost of living crisis a major factor. By late April, although these financial barriers remain in place, there are more grounds for optimism that 2023 might be at least as good as 2022 in terms of the staycation market.

Direct comparisons with the April survey from last year suggest that holiday taking behaviours amongst Scots will be similar to last year at least, if not slightly ahead - certainly in terms of overseas holidays to Europe. But this doesn’t look as if it will be at the expense of domestic breaks with plans for staycations over the rest of 2023 very similar to what we saw this time last year.

You can read about this - and more - by clicking on the image below…

16th February 2023
Which sources of information are used by Scots when planning home holidays?

Using the optimum mix of marketing tools and promotions are key for DMOs and tourism businesses. Knowing how best to target different types of prospective visitors is key to maximise returns. In the January 2023 Scottish Tourism Index, those Scots planning domestic breaks during 2023 were asked which sources of information they would use. Click on the link below to see some huge variations by Lifestage:

13th February 2023
Forecasting Tourism Behaviours - the predictive possibilities of the Scottish Tourism Index

With the Scottish Tourism Index released on a quarterly basis and each wave containing claimed holiday taking behaviours of the Scottish population, just how accurate are these claims? To what extent can we predict likely annual outcomes from the survey? We have analysed the predicted holidays claimed by Scots for 2022 in each of the April, August and October surveys, and compared with the final outcomes recorded in January 2023. The results provide a great deal of reassurance about the strength of the Scottish Tourism Index as a predictive tool. Read more by clicking on the image below:

9th February 2023

Early signs suggest that 2023 could be a more challenging year for domestic tourism in Scotland

In late January, the 56 Degree Insight team ran the first of the 2023 quarterly waves of ‘Scotland’s Viewpoint’ - a representative sample of over 1,000 Scots conducted online. A major focus was holiday taking behaviours collected through our proprietary Scottish Tourism Index survey.

We looked back at 2022 when seven in ten of us took holidays with Scotland itself the main recipient (45% of us took at least one holiday or break in our own country).

But the main focus of this first survey of 2023 was to look forward - what might lie in store for Scottish tourism this year? It’s fair to say that the current cost of living crisis is definitely impacting our plans - or at the very least, for many, much more uncertainty about holidays this year. At this early stage, it looks as if there will be a slight downturn in holiday taking generally, but especially tin domestic holidays within Scotland or other parts of the UK. Overseas trips on the other hand seem to be holding up better - with slight increases forecast on 2022 trips to both European and longer haul destinations.

You can read about this - and more (advanced booking periods, the barriers to travel, Easter holiday plans amongst other things), by clicking on the image below

Coverage of the latest findings in The Scotsman - Friday 9th February 2023:

13th December 2022

Insights to help hospitality and tourism businesses to address recruitment and skill shortages

As tourism and hospitality businesses face significant problems recruiting skilled staff, we were delighted to partner with Edinburgh Napier University and ATHE in October to undertake a survey which aimed to find out more about the sector’s reputation and the attractiveness of hospitality and tourism as a career choice.

We found that whilst the majority of the population recognise the significant importance of tourism to the economy and support it’s development, views on the attractiveness of the sector as a career choice were somewhat polarised.

Many people hold a very negative opinion with common concerns including poor pay, long hours and the challenges of dealing with difficult customers. However, we found that others had somewhat more positive expectations, feeling that a career in this sector would provide opportunities to meet and welcome people and the potential for a rewarding and interesting career, in a sector which has much potential for growth.

These mixed feelings on the attractiveness of the sector for a career translated to varied feelings when survey respondents were asked if they would recommend studying tourism or hospitality at college or university with many unsure on whether it would be a sector they’d recommend whilst other businesses sectors could look like more attractive, less risky option.

Despite these mixed opinions on the attractiveness, we found that there was much greater consensus across the population on the need to take action to improve opportunities for careers in Scottish hospitality and tourism, starting with greater collaboration between the government, industry and academia.

In other work we have done in the UK we’ve seen how this partnership approach can be extremely effective.  Earlier in2022 we were insights partner for the Westminster Works campaign which sought to address similar hospitality recruitment issues in the borough of Westminster. Informed by the research we undertook with employers, employees and job seekers, the programme has led to close collaboration between the local authority, hospitality businesses (ranging from 6 star hotels to fast food chains!) and the University of Greenwich, working together to take the steps needed to fill over 2,000 positions.  This has included agreement of a ‘pledge’ made by employers committing to fair pay and conditions, takings steps to make the sector more attractive to people who had left the workforce, more collaboration between businesses to allow career development and a more joined up approach to promoting opportunities to work in the Westminster hospitality sector (see https://westminster.works/)

If you’d like to view our infographic of results from our recent Scottish survey click on the image below … or get in touch if you’d like to discuss further.

10th November 2022

From Covid to Cost of Living: Scottish Tourism continues to ride the rollercoaster of uncertainty

In mid October, the 56 Degree Insight team ran the 4th of our quarterly waves of ‘Scotland’s Viewpoint’ - a representative sample of over 1,000 Scots conducted online. Again, a major focus was the holiday taking behaviours and opinions collected through our proprietary Scottish Tourism Index survey.

The survey results were launched on Thursday 11th November at the Scottish Tourism Alliance’s annual conference - The Scottish Tourism Industry Conference 2022, at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

There is a wealth of data and information on our latest holiday taking characteristics - and the survey shows that although nearly three quarters of us have been taking holidays this year, we are still taking fewer trips than was the case pre-Pandemic, with the cost of living crisis now really biting into our holiday intentions for 2023.

You can read and download the full report by clicking on the image below:

A Taxing Decision - what do Scots think about the proposed introduction of a Tourism Levy when visiting some destinations?

With the potential for a tourism levy - or 'tourist tax' - being considered in several parts of Scotland in the next few years, the Scottish Tourism Alliance commissioned 56 Degree Insight to measure the sentiment of the resident population on this topic.  Asked as part of the October 'Scottish Tourism Index', the results suggest a division of opinions but illustrate some of the key requirements if this tax is introduced.

You can read and download the report by clicking on the image below:

18th August 2022

Encouraging signs in Scots holiday taking this year - but the cost of living crisis is impacting on the nature of these trips

At the beginning of August, the 56 Degree Insight team ran the third of our quarterly waves of ‘Scotland’s Viewpoint’ - a representative sample of over 1,000 Scots conducted online. A major focus was holiday taking behaviours collected through our proprietary Scottish Tourism Index survey.

Since the last wave of research - in April - things have changed: inflation is at a 40-year high, and energy and fuel prices are driving up the cost of living to unprecedented levels. So what impact is all of this having on our holiday choices this year?

Encouragingly for the tourism industry, Scots holidays are holding up well with almost half of us taking holidays in Scotland this year - and encouraging numbers travelling elsewhere in the UK, and a clear recovery for European breaks. Only long-haul is taking longer to recover. But several factors are impacting on our decision-making - the increased cost of living is having a major impact, but so are legacy effects from Covid, transport disruption across rail, air and ferry, and the war in Ukraine.

Click on the link below to get the full picture. As well as detailed stats on where we are taking our holidays, for holidays in Scotland, we have also looked at accommodation choices and how they are changing, as well as the planning cycle - from deciding to go, to which elements are booked in advance.

And we are delighted to incorporate some contextual information on the wider UK resident market. Our friends at Yonder Data Solutions kindly undertook a parallel run of key questions on their UK omnibus - with some interesting findings on which of the UK’s constituent countries’ residents are most likely to be taking holidays this year……

Click below to find out more.

25th August: Some great coverage in the press for this most recent wave of the Scottish Tourism Index:

25th April 2022

Relaunch of the Scottish Tourism Index - Scots holiday plans for 2022

On the 18th and 19th April, we ran the second wave of Scotland’s Viewpoint, interviewing 1,007 Scottish adults. Subjects covered included their views on specific issues such as cost of living and the war in Ukraine, but we also looked at the transport sector and asked Scots to rate some key transport and travel brands. More on these results over the next week or so, but today we are excited to announce the relaunch of the Scottish Tourism Index.

During the pandemic, we ran a series of consumer surveys to understand the views and behaviours of Scots in terms of holidays and breaks. The last wave of this research was in March last year. As holidays are very much ‘back on the agenda’ for many of us, we will be tracking Scots behaviours and attitudes to holidays on a quarterly basis through this survey. The first wave indicates that the proportion of Scots planning on taking holidays this year has risen significantly on last year, with particular growth in interest in European destinations. There is good news for the domestic industry as well however with over two in five of us taking holidays in Scotland this year. However, although we have moved away from the peak impacts of Coronavirus, the survey shows that it is still having an impact on holiday choices for many of us - as indeed iOS the ongoing war in Ukraine - both are impacting the types of holidays being considered. But the biggest impacts on holiday choice relate to the increase costs of living - the survey shows that half of us say this is having a major impact on whether or not we take holidays, and if so, the nature of that trip. Read about this and more in our new, info graphical format, by clicking on the link below.

2020-2021 Surveys:

Meanwhile, to access each set of monthly results from the
Scottish Tourism Indices which ran throughout the period of
the Pandemic, click on the images below