Focus on Scotland

· Business tourism is worth £960m to Scotland, and accounts for 21% of total tourism spend (3-yr average to 2003, 2004 data n/a) · The UK accounts for 85% of business tourism expenditure in Scotland · Overseas business visits to Scotland rose 19% in 2004, with expenditure up 1% · Business tourists spend significantly more than other tourists (x2.03/night) · Both ICCA and UIA rank Edinburgh and Glasgow second only to London in the UK, in terms of number of "meetings":http://www.venues.org.uk/searches/meeting_rooms_venues.asp. · 2004 saw dramatic growth of 21% in the volume of events held by UK "corporates":http://www.venues.org.uk/searches/corporate_event_venues.asp, and a 9% increase in the number organised by UK associations, although fewer delegates attended and the events were of shorter duration · European meeting planners project an increase in international bookings from 17% in 2004 to 28% in 2005 · One-third of German corporates and over 40% of German agents report a growth in meetings in 2005 to date, with a marked increased in meetings being held in European destinations outside Germany · 60% of German agents, and 33% of German corporates, foresee an increase in conferences and incentives abroad in the next 2-3 years However, at the same time: · In 2004 there was a 3% decrease in the no. of int’l meetings with >300 delegates held worldwide (UIA) · Although an impressive 35% of all International Association conferences held in the UK were hosted by Scotland in 2004, this was a decline from the 38% recorded in the two previous years · UK meeting planner budgets are under pressure, with UK associations reporting a 15% decrease in annual spend per organisation on "events":http://www.venues.org.uk/searches/corporate_event_venues.asp and corporates a 7% drop, despite an increase in volume (Sources: UKTS, IPS, ICCA, UIA, MIA, MPI/American Express Futurewatch, TMF)