Edinburgh Festivals generates £261m for Scottish economy report finds
The 12 major annual Edinburgh festivals brought in over a quarter of a billion pounds of additional tourism to Scotland last year new research has found.
Published today, the Edinburgh Festivals Impact Study which engaged with 15,000 respondents has found that the festivals generated £261m for Scotland in 2010. It also found that the economic impact on Edinburgh by the festivals saw £245, generated for the city alone.
As a result of having visited the city 82% said that the Festivals made it more likely that they would return in the future, while the same number also revealed that the festivals were the sole reason for their visit to Scotland.
85% also said that the Festivals promoted Scotland’s national identity in a positive manner.
Culture Secretary for Scotland, Fiona Hyslop, said: “Year on year Edinburgh’s world-renowned Festivals continue to enchant audiences from home and around the world. From our early days in government, we have shown our commitment to the festivals, establishing and investing in our Expo Fund which has produced award winning creative collaborations and showcases Scottish artistic talent.
In addition to the inherent cultural and social benefits our festivals bring to Edinburgh and to Scotland, this report highlights the significant economic benefits they reap with over one quarter of a billion pounds of additional tourism revenue generated alone. The future is bright for Edinburgh’s festivals and, as Culture Secretary, I am looking forward to experiencing a fantastic programme this year and announcing details of how we will expand the Expo Fund to benefit the festivals for years to come.”
In comparison, the most recent independent economic impact figure for Gold tourism to Scotland was measured as £191m.