Tourism is a particularly important element of the economy of the Highlands, supporting 13 per cent of all jobs in the area a compared with 9 per cent of jobs in Scotland as a whole. Visitors spend around £1 billion every year in the Highlands and Islands as a whole with £600 to £700 million of that spent in the mainland Highlands and Skye*.
The Highland Visitor Survey 2002 – 2003 covered the mainland Highlands and Skye and included Moray but excluded Argyll (covered in a separate survey). Running for twelve months from May 2002 to April 2003 and involving face-to-face interviews with almost 5,000 visitors at over 70 locations across the Highlands, it provides a wealth of information about visitors and their visit to the area. Interview locations included visitor attractions, tourist information centres, town and village centres and transport terminals.
The survey updates the 1997 Highland Visitor Survey and explores:
- Who is visiting the Highlands?
- Where do they come from and how long do they stay?
- What is their demographic profile?
- Where do they go and what do they do when they are in the Highlands?
- What transport do they use to get to the Highlands and to travel around the area?
- Why do they visit and what are their motivations and influences?
- How much do they spend?
- What do they think of their visit in terms of the quality of services and facilities and perceived value for money?
* Source: VisitScotland - United Kingdom Tourism Survey and International Passenger Survey. Mainland Highlands and Skye represents the area covered by the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board and the Highland Council.
A range of reports is available presenting the results for the peak season 2002 only as well as for the full year. Both sets of reports as well as the 1997 reports are available to download in the following pages - for the overall Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board / Highland Council area and for six individual smaller areas:
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