For many years, Easter heralded the start of the "traditional" tourism season. Yet in today’s world, Scotland’s visitor economy is too important to be confined to a few months of the year.

Despite ongoing financial pressures, tourism and events continue to be among Scotland’s most powerful economic drivers.

In 2023, visitor spending contributed £10.8 billion to Scotland’s economy, equivalent to six per cent of total economic output. This spend powers the visitor economy, creating a ripple effect that touches every corner of Scotland’s economy.

All of us, whether we realise it or not, have benefited from this visitor economy.

It supports a much wider local supply chain which includes food and drink, arts and culture, retail, construction and transport.

This in turn creates additional jobs, encourages entrepreneurial activity and attracts investment in infrastructure,........

© Herald Scotland