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Motion · S6M-10826 · 12 Oct 2023

Scotch Whisky Visitor Centres Top Visitor Attraction in Scotland

Lodged by Gordon MacDonald Standard Motion 29 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament welcomes new figures released by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), indicating that the Scotch Whisky visitor centres collectively have risen to become the top visitor attraction in Scotland; understands that the SWA has revealed that visitor numbers to Scotch Whisky visitor centres throughout the country topped two million in 2022, which marks a return to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels; notes that, according to the SWA, footfall more than doubled compared to 2021, while more than £85 million was spent in total at sites across Scotland’s five whisky regions, up 90% since 2010; recognises that visitors from the United States, France and Germany are among the top five overseas demographics, while tourists from within the UK accounted for 51% of all visits to Scottish whisky sites; appreciates that around 1,100 people are employed at Scotch Whisky visitor centres across the country, many of which are situated in rural areas, and that investment in Scotch Whisky tourism has totalled more than £300 million over the past decade, with a number of new visitor centres having opened, and agrees with Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, when he says that "A globally important cultural and economic phenomenon, whisky is a hook that draws thousands of visitors from around the world to our shores, year after year to enjoy uniquely immersive experiences across Scotland’s distilleries".

Supporters (29)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.