Friday 13th January 2012
Rise in Scottish tourist numbers
BBC News
The number of visitors to Scotland rose by 8% in the first nine months of last year as staycations grew in popularity, according to new figures.
The Great Britain Tourism Survey, compiled by national tourist boards, suggested a strong domestic market.
However, a separate Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey showed a 4% fall in the number of international visitors in the first three quarters.
This was despite an 18% rise in tourist numbers from North America.
Just over 12 million people visited Scotland between January and September.
Spending by visitors from Britain rose by 21% year-on-year to about £2.3bn, while expenditure by overseas tourists fell by 6% to just over £1.1bn.