THE SCOTTISH Tourist Board has blamed a slump in Scots taking trips in their own country for an overall fall in spending by tourists last year.
Total tourism spending was down by 6% to £2.47bn in 1998. However, tourism spending by Scots plunged by 38% to £353m.
Deputy director of UK marketing Mike Young said Scots had taken fewer trips last year because the weather had been poor. This trend had particularly affected short trips that are made on the spur of the moment, he said.
He also cited the World Cup as a secondary factor keeping people at home.
Young fears that unless the weather is significantly better in Scotland this summer, the trend could be repeated in 1999.
He said research was currently being conducted on the Scottish market to seek ways of encouraging more domestic travel, such as putting more emphasis on promoting indoor attractions.
“The Scots do have a high propensity to holiday in Scotland. They have feelings of guilt if they don’t,” Young claimed.