Insight Department: Dutch Visitors to Scotland

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1 Insight Department: Dutch Visitors to Scotland September 2018

2 Welcome The Dutch Visitors to Scotland factsheet provides the latest data and trends on the volume and value of visitors from the International Passenger Survey (IPS). This factsheet also provides information on the latest consumer trends and attitudes. A Typical Visitor from The Netherlands Dutch visitors are typically well-educated, affluent couples who are keen to have authentic cultural experiences, and have an interest in culture, landscape and wildlife. Many Dutch visitors are on a repeat visit to Scotland and many may know the country well. While hotels remain popular, Dutch visitors show a particular interest in camping. Dutch visitors have a high propensity to do outdoor activities when they are on holiday, such as touring, hiking and seeing wildlife. They state the range of activities as a key motivation for visiting Scotland. Dutch travellers are typically very independent and speak a good level of English, being taught it as a second language from a young age. Language is not a barrier for most. A high proportion of visitors enter directly via plane into Edinburgh and Glasgow Airport. Dutch visitors are also more likely than average to use ferries and bring their own car. Dutch visitors are likely to be visiting from North Holland (incl. Amsterdam), South Holland (incl. Rotterdam and the Hague), North Brabant and Utrecht.

3 Visitors from The Netherlands to The UK and Scotland in 2017 Visitors from Netherlands to the UK and Scotland in 2017 INDICATORS UK KEY FACTS SCOTLAND Total visits 2,136, ,000 Visits by purpose 39% Holiday 29% Business 25% VFR 58% Holiday 22% Business 19% VFR Total nights 9,450, ,000 Total spend 745m 93m Average length of stay 4.4 nights 4.9 nights Average spend per day Average spend per visit *3 year average ( ) Source: IPS, 2017 In 2017, Netherlands was the UK s 6th largest source market measured by number of visits 10th largest by number of nights 9th largest by expenditure In 2017, Netherlands was Scotland s 5th largest source market measured by number of visits 9th largest by number of nights 6th largest by expenditure

4 Visitors from Netherlands to Scotland Compared to Other Overseas Markets: TRIPS SPEND NIGHTS 000s % m % 000s % USA % % 4,949 20% Germany % % 2,609 11% France 206 6% 106 5% 1,764 7% Australia 157 5% 134 6% 1,510 6% Netherlands 157 5% 93 4% 776 3% Irish Republic 128 4% 35 2% 405 2% Norway 123 4% 68 3% 892 4% Spain 122 4% 109 5% 602 2% Italy 121 4% 74 3% 779 3% Canada 115 4% 90 4% 1,063 4% Rest of World 1,143 36% % 9,046 37% Total 3, % 2, % 24, % Source: IPS, 2017

5 Latest Information Visitors from Netherlands to Scotland INDICATORS KEY FACTS Total visits to Scotland 157,000 Total nights in Scotland 776,000 Total spend in Scotland 93m Average length of stay 4.9 nights Average spend per day 120 Average spend per visit 592 Source: IPS, 2017 Duration of stay Purpose of travel 1-3 nights (37%) 4-7 nights (37%) 8-14 nights (17%) 15+ nights (9%) Holiday (58%) Business (22%) VFR (19%) Seasonality Jan-Mar (11%) Apr-Jun (42%) Jul-Sep (30%) Oct-Dec (18%) 3 year average ( ) Source: IPS, 2017

6 Regions Visited Visitor Heat Map Darker areas = more visitors Top regions visited Lothians Highlands & Islands Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley Source: IPS, 2017

7 Trends Information Visitors from Netherlands to Scotland VISITORS FROM NETHERLANDS TO SCOTLAND: Total visit/nights/spend Total visits (000s) Total Spend ( m) Total nights (000s) Source: IPS,

8 2. Volume/Value trend Sum of Visits (000s) Sum of Spend ( m) Source: IPS, 2017 Dutch visitors make up our 5th largest source market in terms of visitor numbers and our 6th largest in terms of visitor spend saw the largest number of visitors from the Netherlands to Scotland in the last decade and the second largest tourism expenditure receipts over the same time period. On average over one quarter of visitors from the Netherlands arrive by sea annually, most likely in their own transportation whether it is a campervan or car. This method of getting to Scotland is more popular than flying between July-September, with 54% of Dutch arriving in Scotland by sea. This method of transport means it is not surprising that the average number of nights per trip increases over July-August to 7.3 nights, compared to the annual average of 4.9 nights. The most popular season for visitors from the Netherlands to come in is April June, with 42% choosing this time to visit. Dutch visitors enjoy good all year air connectivity to Scotland with 94% of visitors who travel in October-March choosing this method of transportation.

9 MOTIVATIONS TO VISIT SCOTLAND CONNECTIONS TO SCOTLAND SCOTLAND Always Scenery & landscape 75% (survey average 50%) History & culture 54% (survey average 33%) wanted to visit 38% (survey average 15%) To visit cities 27% (survey average 15%) Scotland s beautiful scenery and landscape is a strong motivator for Dutch visitors, along with the history and culture. Scotland is viewed as an ideal destination to venture off the beaten track and enjoy unspoilt landscape and wildlife. Dutch visitors like taking touring holidays, where they have the opportunity to take in all the sights. TRANSPORT TO SCOTLAND 41% of visitors arrived by plane directly to Scotland. The most popular airports to arrive to were: Edinburgh 53% Glasgow 36% Aberdeen 4% Scotland s reputation for friendly people 24% (survey average 15%) Range of activities available 21% (survey average 14%) 3% arrived by plane (indirect) 35% of Dutch visitors had a connection to Scotland. The most common connections were: No personal connections but had visited many times 14% Friends live in Scotland 9% Family live in Scotland 6% Although some visitors from The Netherlands have family/friend connections, this is generally lower than for long haul markets. A more significant amount had no personal connections but were repeat visitors to Scotland. PLANNING & BOOKING On average, Dutch visitors start to plan about 6 months ahead, slightly further ahead than the average European visitor. This may be due to the touring and activity nature of their holidays in Scotland. Planning: Travel booking: Accommodation booking: Dutch visitors are likely to use the internet as an information source for holiday booking, such as search engines and review websites, as well as talking with friends and family. They are also much more likely than average to use printed travel guide books (e.g. Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Fordors). Dutch visitors were also much more likely than other European markets to use their own car 35% (European survey average 14%) and travel by boat/ship or ferry 27% (European survey average 9%). Source: Scotland Visitor Survey 2015/ weeks 13.7 weeks 10.0 weeks

10 TOP 5 ACTIVITIES IN SCOTLAND Sightseeing by car/coach/on foot 80% (survey average 74%) Visited cathedral, church 72% (survey average 46%) Centre based walking (i.e around a town centre) 70% (survey average 45%) Visited cities 65% (survey average 42%) Visited castle/ historic house 62% (survey average 60%) ACCOMMODATION Accommodation Preferences: Hotel 52% (survey average 41%) Camping 18% highest across all markets (survey average 6%) B&B/GH 18% (survey average 20%) Self-catering 17% (survey average 22%) Friends/family 16% (survey average 19%) Visitors from The Netherlands are typically very active during their holiday in Scotland. Slightly lower down the list but notably higher for visitors from The Netherlands were: Long walk, hike or ramble 55%*(which was the highest figure across all markets surveyed) Watched wildlife, birdwatching 21% Aspects Important in Choosing Accommodation: Location 73% Value for Money 43% Availability of free Wi-Fi at accommodation 21% Quality star grading 19% Source: Scotland Visitor Survey 2015/2016

11 Satisfaction with the Visitor Experience Dutch visitors were positive about their experience in Scotland and just over half are highly likely to recommend Scotland as a destination (although slightly lower than the European average). MEAN Top 2 Box (9 or 10) Overall rating of Holiday Experience (scale 1-10) % Likelihood to Recommend % Areas of the visitor experience which recorded mean scores below 8 include: Availability of local produce when eating out Availability of 3G/4G Value for money of eating out Mobile phone signal coverage Availability of free Wi-Fi Availability of free Wi-Fi at accommodation Source: Scotland Visitor Survey 2015/2016

12 Popular media channels Research with consumers from The Netherlands on VisitScotland s database has provided examples of key media channels used by these consumers. Key Websites Used Google Facebook Hotmail Startpagina Telegraaf Marktplaats Buienradar Hyves Key Social Media Accounts Facebook WhatsApp YouTube Google+ TripAdvisor LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Pinterest Key Newspapers Read (online or print) De Telegraaf De Volkskrant Nrc Metro Spits Nu.nl Algemeen Dagblad Noordhollands Dagblad Trouw Key Magazines Read (online or in print) Libelle Kampioen Margriet Elsevier Reizen Landleven Plus Quest National Geographic Influential TV Programmes for Travel Outlander Coast Braveheart Source: VisitScotland Research

13 Connectivity Direct to Edinburgh EasyJet: Amsterdam Edinburgh (all year round) Direct to Inverness KLM: Amsterdam Inverness (all year round) KLM: Amsterdam Edinburgh (all year round) Ryanair: Eindhoven - Edinburgh (all year round) Direct to Glasgow EasyJet: Amsterdam Glasgow (all year round) KLM: Amsterdam Glasgow (all year round) Direct to Aberdeen KLM: Amsterdam Aberdeen (all year round)

14 APPENDIX: International Passenger Survey 2017 USING AND INTERPRETING STATISTICAL DATA Source: Data is sourced from the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey (IPS). Information about the survey can be found on the VisitBritain website (Insights & Statistics section) or the Office for National Statistics website Sample Sizes: Analysis of sub-groups, such as trips by purpose or demographic group, relies on small sample sizes that can be unreliable. Where this is a particular issue, methods to aggregate data, such as using a 3-year average instead of single-year data, have been used. Before using the data, it is important to recognise the limitations of using a small sample size. Further information, including methodology and sample sizes, can be found on the VisitBritain website (Insights & Statistics section). CONTACT US Insight Department VisitScotland Ocean Point One 94 Ocean Drive Edinburgh EH6 6JH research@visitscotland.com September 2018 visitscotland.com visitscotland.org Disclaimer: VisitScotland has published this report in good faith to update stakeholders on its activity. VisitScotland has taken all reasonable steps to confirm the information contained in the publication is correct. However, VisitScotland does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy of any information disclosed and accepts no responsibility for any error or omissions. Images VisitScotland