Research shows Scots retain a nervousness about travel
Research shows Scots retain a nervousness about travel – though the domestic tourism industry could welcome up to 2.4 million staycationers in 2020 with positive prospects looking forward to 2021.
56 Degree Insight
“Some six weeks after the Scottish tourism industry re-opened, the results from wave four of our monthly monitor of how the Scottish population feel about tourism and leisure during the COVID-19 Pandemic provide interesting reading.
COVID-19 lockdown began on 23rd March in Scotland. Gradual re-opening began in late May and the tourism industry re-opened on the 15th July. Over the whole period of lockdown, many of us spent time thinking about how the pandemic had made us feel about travel generally and our 2020 holiday plans in particular – and we, at 56 Degree Insight, were keen to track how the Scottish resident adult population’s views and opinions moved over this period of lockdown and beyond once the tourism industry re-opened.
As a result, in early May, we launched a new survey designed to monitor the tourism and leisure desires and concerns of the Scottish population – The Scottish Tourism Index. Where would they want to go first when conditions allow, and what will they take into account when planning that trip? The first wave of research was undertaken in the first week of May, it was repeated at the start of June and then again in early July – just before re-opening, with holidays a possibility again.
In this fourth and final wave of the Scottish Tourism Index (for now), undertaken in the last week of August, we are able to examine the nature of the holidays taken by Scots ion Scotland in July and August – as well as make more robust predictions about the rest of this year (Global pandemic notwithstanding!). We examine how views about travel generally have evolved since early May and whether the safety measures and mitigations put in place by Scottish tourism and hospitality businesses have been enough to entice Scots to take breaks, and, for those who have, to rate the experience. We also look forward to 2021 – and how Scots feel right now about next year’s holidays.
A range of new questions has been included as well as repeats of questions asked 4 weeks previously to identify any emerging trends or changes in attitudes.”
The full report can be accessed from the 56 Degree Insight website using this link >> https://www.56degreeinsight.com/scottish-tourism-index-august
