Scotland pulls in 20% more foreign tourists

Increasing numbers of foreign visitors are flocking to Scotland, according to new figures published by the International Passenger Survey.

Tourist numbers rose 20% year-on-year in 2004 with a total of 1.88 million people from all over the world visiting the region.

"I am delighted with these figures. The tourism industry can take great credit from them," said Phillip Riddle, chief executive of VisitScotland. "They demonstrate that our marketing strategies are yielding some excellent results."

The figures show that Scotland is benefiting from the introduction of new air and ferry routes, notably new routes from Scotland to Europe.

Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson said: "Scotland's tourism industry has battled through a difficult period in recent years - and now it is thriving."

The increase in visitors to Scotland compared favourably with the increase for the UK as a whole. Nearly 28 million people visited the UK from overseas in 2004, 12% more than 2003.

by Victoria Heath

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