In advance of the independence vote, travel interest from the rest of the UK to Scotland has decreased by 29 per cent in comparison to this time last year, according to new research from hotel comparison website trivago.co.uk.
Hotel searches to Scotland from England, Wales and Northern Ireland made between 1st August and 15th September have decreased by 29 per cent compared to the same period in 2013. Searches were for a hotel stay for any date after 28th September, in order to exclude searches made for the Ryder Cup (23rd to 28th September).
However, when hotel searches for the Ryder Cup were included (i.e. searches for any future travel were analysed), travel interest decreased by 19 per cent year-on-year. This shows that even the Ryder Cup did not cause an increase in searches to Scotland made by English, Welsh and Northern Irish users.
Travel Interest from Scotland to the rest of the UK down 19%
While UK interest to Scotland has dropped, Scottish travel interest to the rest of the UK over the same period has simultaneously declined. When hotel searches made by Scottish users to England, Wales and Northern Ireland were analysed, searches had decreased by 19 per cent compared to 2013. Searches were made between 1st August and 15th September for any future travel.
Denise Bartlett, UK Public Relations comments: “With the future of Scottish independence uncertain and many questioning how this will affect both potential visitors and the country’s tourism industry, it is interesting to note that Scotland has already seen a decline in travel interest from the rest of the UK. Despite the Ryder Cup, which was expected to boost Scottish tourism, searches for accommodation in the country have decreased in comparison to last year.
“Although this cannot be attributed wholly to the referendum, it is interesting to note that searches made by Scottish users to the rest of the UK have simultaneously decreased. With many in Scotland voting for independence, it appears likely that interest in visiting England, Wales and Northern Ireland has declined.”
About trivago
Travellers find the ideal hotel for the best price on www.trivago.co.uk. trivago is the world’s largest online hotel search site, comparing rates from over 700,000 hotels on over 175 booking sites worldwide. trivago integrates over 120 million hotel ratings and 14 million photos in order to make finding the perfect hotel easier for users. Over 75 million visitors per month find their ideal hotel by using trivago’s various filters and in turn save an average of 35% per booking. trivago was founded in 2005 in Düsseldorf, Germany and currently operates 47 international country platforms in 28 languages.
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