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2 The following slides collate the insights relating to transport only. To see the full results and to put this extract into context please click on this link: Scotland Visitor Survey Objectives
3 Methodology: overview
Scotland s scenery and landscape remains a key motivation to visit, as does its history and culture. Other drivers vary by market and visitor type. The scenery & landscape The history & culture Holidayed before & wanted to return To get away from it all To visit family / friends who live in It is easy to get to Closeness to home Scotland's reputation for friendly people To visit cities I have always wanted to visit The range of activities available Special event Personal event / celebration To visit a particular attraction My Scottish ancestry The climate & weather What Attracts Visitors To Scotland? 24% 23% 20% 16% 15% 15% 15% 15% 14% 10% 9% 9% 9% 5% 33% Visitors from Europe 10% Q10 Thinking broadly about your decision to choose Scotland for your holiday or short break, what was it that attracted you to spend your holiday / short break in Scotland on this occasion? Base: S1 All (11743) 50% 4
Google search was used by almost 9 in 10, whilst visitscotland.com and travel review sites were also important online planning sources. 5 Google search engine 86% VisitScotland.com 46% Traveller review websites Transport provider website Individual tourism provider s website Travel agency websites 20% 18% 10% 45% Half of all 25-44yrs used visitscotland.com as did 65% Europeans and 57% of Long Haul visitors Traveller review sites particularly popular with Long Haul visitors (64%) who are also most likely to use these to post reviews of their experience in Scotland Social media Travel guide websites 9% 8% Transport provider sites most commonly used by European visitors (39%) Travel search engine website Other search engine Magazine/newspaper websites Other website 5% 5% 4% 4% Social media important for 16-24yrs (20%), in conjunction with other resources 55-64 and 65+ age groups most likely to go direct to tourism provider website (24%, 28%) Q10 What types of websites did you use when planning your holiday / short break in Scotland? Base: S2 All who used websites to plan holiday (2210) Types Of Websites Used For Planning
Much of the planning and booking is done 3-6 months ahead of travel On arrival <2wks 2-4wks 1-2mths 3-6mths >6mths Plan Book accommodation Book travel 0% 2% 3% 9% 11% 8% 9% 13% 14% 12% 14% 20% 18% 17% 31% 27% 25% 28% Average # weeks in advance 20.7 14.4 10.8 6 Base: S2 All (2999) Planning & Booking Timeline
9 in 10 visitors booked travel and accommodation separately. Those who booked together tended to do so online. 7 Booked Travel & Accommodation Together Online via travel website How Booked 34% No, 87% Yes, 13% Tour operator / travel company website High street travel agent 17% 24% 19% of first time visitors booked together Other 25% Q13 Did you book your accommodation and travel together as a single package? Base: S2 All who booked in advance (2622) Travel & Accommodation Booking Methods Q13b How did you book? Base: S2 All who booked travel & accommodation together (360)
For those who booked separately, most did so directly with accommodation and transport providers Accommodation Travel 8 Accommodation website 40% Transport provider website 39% Online via travel website Accommodation by phone 17% 12% Online travel agent 6% Accommodation by email 10% High street travel agent 2% Online via peer-to-peer booking site Tour operator / travel company website High street travel agent 5% 2% 1% Tour operator / travel company website At a tourist information centre 1% 0% Tourist information centre Other Didn't book accommodation 0% 1% 9% Other I didn t book any travel 8% 43% Q13c How did you book your accommodation for this trip? Base: S2 All who booked travel & accommodation separately (2262) Travel & Accommodation Booking Methods Q14 How did you book the travel from home to your destination in Scotland for this trip? Base: S2 All booked separately (1831)
The main methods of transport to Scotland were car or plane but differences emerge by market and type of visitor Own car Plane (direct) Train (within UK) Plane (indirect) Hire car Boat / ship / ferry Friend / family car Motorhome / campervan Public bus / coach Organised coach tour Motorcycle / motorbike Train (outside UK) Bicycle Hitch-hiking 7% 5% 4% 3% 3% 3% 1% 0% 0% 0% Q9 How did you travel to Scotland? Base: S1 All non Scots (8953) Mode Of Travel To Scotland 13% 11% 29% 37% Further analysis slide 10 European (56%) and 1 st time visitors (39%) were most likely to fly directly to Scotland whilst 41% of Long Haul visitors required a connecting flight Long Haul visitors also used UK trains (16%) and hire cars (13%) to get to Scotland UK visitors tended to arrive in their own car (55%) 9
Transport methods differ significantly by market First Time Visitors 58% arrived by plane direct (39%) indirect (19%) 63% arrived to Edinburgh airport 28% arrived in Scotland by car own car (17%) hire car (9%) friend / family car (2%) 11% travelled by train (within UK) Repeat Visitors 57% travelled by car own car (48%) hire car (5%) friend / family car (4%) 29% arrived by plane direct (23%) indirect (6%) 15% travelled by train (within UK) Mode Of Travel To Scotland European Visitors 72% arrived by plane direct (56%) indirect (16%) 71% arrived to Edinburgh airport A quarter travelled by car (24%) own / friend / family car (15%) hire car (9%) 9% used boats, ships or ferries Long Haul Visitors 76% arrived by plane indirect (41%) direct (35%) 47% arrived in Edinburgh; 32% Glasgow airport 36% connected via Heathrow 17% arrived by car hire car (13%) own / friend / family car (4%) 16% travelled by train (within UK) Rest of UK Visitors 64% travelled by car own car (55%) friend / family car (5%) hire car (4%) 16% travelled by train (within UK) 16% arrived by plane (direct) Edinburgh airport (42%) Glasgow airport (29%) Aberdeen airport (16%) 10
For those who arrived in Scotland by plane, over half arrived into Edinburgh airport and a quarter into Glasgow airport. Heathrow and Schiphol were the main airports for connecting flights into Scotland. 11 Plane Direct into Scotland (29%) Plane Indirect (11%) 56% 24% 8% 3% 1% Other Scottish airport 1% Did not arrive into a Scottish airport 6% London Heathrow Airport Amsterdam Schipol Dublin Airport London Gatwick Airport Reykavik, Keflavik Frankfurt am Maine London Stansted Airport Paris Charles De Gaulle Manchester Airport Abu Dhabi Dubai Belfast Airport London Luton Airport Singapore Doha Birmingham Airport Another airport 6% 4% 4% 4% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% Q9b Which Scottish airport did you arrive in to? Base: S1 All who travelled by plane (4655) Q9c At which airport(s) did you stop to catch a connecting flight on your way to Scotland? Base: S1 All who travelled by plane indirect (1481) 14% 12% 18% 30% Air Travel
Ease of getting around Scotland was rated highly by visitors and attracted the highest mean score for satisfaction across all the areas of the visitor experience measured. 12 Ease of Getting Around 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 3% 10% 23% 29% 33% 1 10 Transport Used In Scotland Top 2 box 62% Mean Q26 What types of transport did you use while you were in Scotland? Q28 Overall, how satisfied were you with the ease of getting around? Base: S2 All (2999) Q27 Did you use the new Borders railway during your visit to Scotland? All who visited Edinburgh, Lothians or Scottish Borders from 5 th Sept onwards (1182) 8.7
First time and Long Haul visitors used multiple forms of transport during their visit in Scotland, whilst domestic and repeat visitors largely travelled around in their own car. 13 Scotland Rest of UK Europe Long Haul First time Repeat Own car 76% 58% 15% 6% 21% 58% Friend / family member s car 9% 14% 9% 18% 8% 14% Hire car 2% 9% 36% 49% 32% 12% Public Bus / coach 15% 24% 46% 49% 43% 24% Train 11% 21% 30% 51% 34% 21% Boat / ship / ferry 30% 17% 22% 23% 16% 23% Walked 21% 32% 38% 51% 39% 31% Organised coach tour 3% 5% 13% 22% 17% 5% Plane (e.g. to the islands) 1% 4% 10% 13% 9% 5% Bicycle 5% 3% 3% 1% 1% 4% Hitch-hiking 0% 0% 1% 1% 1% 0% Motorcycle / motorbike 1% 1% 1% 0% 0% 1% Motorhome / campervan 4% 3% 4% 0% 2% 3% Other 2% 3% 3% 3% 4% 3% BASE 459 875 948 717 1121 1878 Transport Used In Scotland by First Time vs Repeat Visitors
Those aged 35-64 were most likely to travel in their own car; and to travel by boat or ferry. Visitors in the youngest age group were the highest users of public buses and trains, and were most likely to walk. 14 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Own car 28% 38% 57% 56% 54% 49% Friend / family member s car 18% 15% 12% 10% 10% 16% Hire car 15% 22% 14% 16% 16% 15% Public Bus / coach 47% 33% 28% 23% 24% 26% Train 35% 26% 20% 23% 22% 21% Boat / ship / ferry 17% 18% 25% 28% 19% 18% Walked 42% 36% 30% 31% 33% 26% Organised coach tour 11% 8% 6% 7% 10% 6% Plane (e.g. to the islands) 10% 7% 3% 4% 4% 7% Bicycle 2% 1% 5% 5% 3% 2% Hitch-hiking 2% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% Motorcycle / motorbike 0% 0% 0% 1% 1% 1% Motorhome / campervan 0% 1% 3% 2% 4% 6% Other 4% 2% 2% 3% 4% 4% BASE 309 502 482 691 646 348 Transport Used In Scotland by Age
9 in 10 visitors seek information whilst in Scotland, on a range of topics. Using smartphones is the most common approach, followed by seeking in person advice 15 Used to find out information Type of information sought Smartphone Talking face-to-face Tablet Laptop/desktop Telephone None of these 19% 12% 10% 36% 52% 68% Q39 During your holiday or short break in Scotland, did you use any of the following to find out information relating to your trip while you were in Scotland? BaseS2 All (2999) Q40 What type(s) of information did you look for during your trip? Base: S2 All who looked for information (2781) Usage Of Devices To Find Information During Trip 82% Weather reports 62% Things to see & do in local area 47% What s on in local area 12% Accommodation 75% Maps / directions 55% Places to eat / drink in local area 27% Transport Something else 2%
Opportunities to drive advocacy Satisfaction with. Top 2 box Mean Ease of getting around 62% 8.7 Being made to feel welcome in VIC 56% 8.5 Availability of useful information in VIC 52% 8.5 Value for money of attractions 51% 8.4 VIC customer service 49% 8.4 Service provided by staff at accommodation 49% 8.3 Knowledge of staff at accommodation about things to do in local area 42% 8.3 Value for money of accommodation 42% 8.0 Availability of free WiFi at accommodation 40% 7.5 Availability of local produce when eating out 33% 7.5 Value for money of eating out 27% 7.5 Mobile phone signal coverage 28% 6.9 Availability of free WiFi 25% 6.7 Availability of 3G / 4G 18% 6.3 In general, satisfaction scores over 8 are excellent, between 7-8 adequate and <7 requires attention. Top 2 scores (9 and 10 out of a 1-10 scale) are required to create genuine satisfaction and loyalty, otherwise customers can be indifferent. These results show a positive visitor experience but we should strive to push the proportion ticking Top 2 boxes higher. 16 Satisfaction Across The Visitor Experience
Half (53%) gave a suggestion of something that would have improved their trip. The top suggestion was a positive one = to have had more time / a longer holiday in Scotland (30%) Key areas where improvements could be made include digital connectivity, roads & value for money Potential Improvements Better / more free WiFi 19% Better/ bigger roads / better road signage 17% Lower costs / better value for money 17% Better 3G / 4G / mobile phone coverage 14% Better food (variety / quality / local) 10% Better public transport 8% Better accommodation 6% Longer opening hours 4% Fewer midgies 4% More information / maps 4% Better customer service 4% More to do / more activities 3% Better currency exchange rates 3% Q54 Apart from the weather, what one improvement would have Better parking 2% enhanced your holiday/short break in Scotland? Base: 847 17
Glasgow city centre 18 Transport Key Takeouts
19 Further information The Scotland Visitor Survey 2015 & 2016 was conducted for VisitScotland by Jump Research. Further data and fact sheets are available via: www.visitscotland.org/research_and_statistics/visitor_re search/all_markets/scotland_visitor_survey.aspx For further information please contact: VisitScotland, Ocean Point One, 94 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh, EH6 6JH research@visitscotland.com www.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