EDINBURGH — Scotland welcomed a record 3.9 million international visitors in 2023, a 15% increase from 2019 and a significant rise from 3.2 million in 2022.

This marks the highest number of international tourists ever recorded for the country, according to the 2023 International Passenger Survey by the Office of National Statistics.

So far Scotland is the only UK nation to surpass its 2019 tourism levels.

Visits from North America and Europe grew by 16% and 19%, respectively, while visits from other countries, including Australia and China, surged by 53%.

International visitors spent £3.5 billion, a 41% increase from 2019, with North American and European tourists each contributing 39% of the total spend.

“These figures mark a turning point for tourism in Scotland, showing not only recovery but crucially growth in international visitors with the number of visits and spend now above 2019 levels,” said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland. “Scotland is the only UK region to have reached this milestone.”

VisitScotland Connect 2024, held in Aberdeen in April, saw over 7,000 meetings between 222 Scottish tourism businesses and nearly 260 travel intermediaries from 23 countries, including 66 from the U.S. market and seven from Canada.

In other tourism news, VisitScotland has launched a new three-day rail itinerary linking Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee, promoting sustainable travel options for visitors.

Check out the Scotland Visitor Survey for more stats and insights.