Dumfries & Galloway has topped the list for repeat visits in the national tourism organisation’s biggest ever Visitor Survey.
Carried out in the summers of 2015 and 2016, VisitScotland’s poll saw 580 visitors to Dumfries & Galloway interviewed, with 141 of these answering specific questions about their visit to the area in a follow-up survey online.
More than two-fifths of the respondents (43 per cent) cited that they had holidayed in the area before and wanted to return, almost 20% above the national average of 24 per cent and one of the highest proportions across all regions in Scotland.
The scenery and landscape was the main reason people enjoy holidaying Dumfries & Galloway (63 per cent), while the desire to ‘get away from it all’ motivated 41 per cent of visitors to the region, and history and culture was important for around a third of tourists (35 per cent).
Visitors to Dumfries & Galloway gave positive ratings of their holiday experience, with 95 per cent giving scores of 7-10 on the satisfaction scale, and three-fifths (61 per cent) gave the highest ratings of nine or ten out of ten.
Holidaymakers also expressed a high likelihood to recommend the region to friends or family, with 95 per cent scoring it between 7-10 and 69 per cent selecting nine or ten out of ten.
Sightseeing by car, coach or on foot was the most popular activity. 70 per cent of respondents cited this as a reason to visit the region, making it to the most popular activity in the area. In second spot is taking a short stroll or walk (61 per cent – 7 per cent above the national average), while visiting a historic house, stately home or castle is enjoyed by 48 per cent.
Paula Ward, VisitScotland Regional Director said:
“With nearly 12,000 visitors all over the country interviewed, this is the biggest Scotland Visitor Survey we have ever produced. I am delighted, but not surprised, to see that so many people rate their trips to Dumfries & Galloway so highly and feel inspired to return for another holiday in a region that offers stunning scenery, a rich history and a feeling of getting away from it all.
“Finding out what drives people to enjoy a holiday in the region provides the tourism industry with valuable insight into the makeup of our visitors and ensure we continue to provide the best customer experience.”
According to the GB Tourism Survey and International Passenger Survey, Dumfries & Galloway welcomed 826,000 overnight visitors in 2015, with 96 per cent of these from the UK. The top overseas markets were Germany, the USA, France, Netherlands and Australia while, overall, visitors spent £175 million while on holiday in the region.
To read the Scotland Visitor Survey click HERE
