Date :
11/02/2014
New research has revealed that Scotland’s Outer Hebrides are proving more popular with visitors, with report findings revealing significant increases in visitor numbers and new trends of visitors sharing their holiday experiences on social media during and after their trip.
The Islands Visitor Survey 2012-2013 has found that over 425,000* people visited the Outer Hebrides, Shetland and Orkney between 2012 and 2013, with around three quarters saying they would be very likely or fairly likely to return in the next 5 years for a holiday or short break. The Island Visitor Survey also reports that these visitors contribute over £100m to the local economies.
The Survey was conducted across Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides in partnership with Shetland Islands Council, Orkney Islands Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and VisitScotland.
Carried out between October 2012 and September 2013, the survey asked almost 4000 people a range of questions as they departed Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, including reasons for their visit, where they stayed and what they had visited during their trip.
The main influences on visitors deciding to come to Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides were the wonderful scenery and landscape, as well as an interest in the archaeology and history of islands. Significantly, around 40% of visitors now share their experiences online during and after their trip with almost a third uploading photos of their visit on social media sites.
Highlights of the Island Visitor Survey per island include:
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Shetland attracted 64,655 overnight/day visitors with a total spend of £16 million. The average length of time visitors are spending has risen to 10 nights. The most popular reason to visit Shetland was holiday/leisure purposes closely followed by business.
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Orkney attracted 142,816 overnight/day visitors, spending over £31 million in the local economy over the period of a year. One noticeable area of change is that 38% of visitors to Orkney now shared their experiences on-line, the main activity being uploading photos and updating their status on Facebook.
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The Outer Hebrides attracted 218,196 people spending over £53.5 million over a 12-month period. 48% of leisure visitors interviewed were returning to the islands having previously enjoyed holidays in the Outer Hebrides
Find full visitor research results and factsheets from VisitScotland here.
*The 2006 Outer Hebrides Tourism Update reported visitor numbers of 171,137 annually and the 2006 Shetland Visitor Survey reported visitor numbers of 60,000. More recent research in 2008 / 2009 in the Orkney Visitor Survey revealed 141,974 visitors to Orkney per year.