2007 Barometer Results

Since spring 2006, George Street Research has been undertaking the Tourism Barometer on behalf of VisitScotland. This is a survey of tourism businesses throughout Scotland on a seasonal basis with strong emphasis on performance monitoring, assessing past and present trends in the market place, future prospects and general market confidence.

Last year VisitScotland Fife and Fife Council collaborated on a Fife specific business confidence monitor with a booster sample of Fife businesses to provide a statistically robust survey. Additional questions were asked of all Fife businesses sampled with the period covered being summer 2007. A total of 101 Fife businesses from across the sector completed the survey – this is in line with the 2006 exercise.

The survey was undertaken at the end of September 2007 with the report produced in November.

The 2007 Season
Three in five respondents (60%) described the season as good in comparison to previous years; 33% said it was “very good” and 27% described it as “quite good”. More than one in ten businesses (15%) felt this summer had been poor when compared with previous years, whilst 26% thought the season had been “average”.

Just less than one in two businesses (46%) believe their total customer numbers have increased in comparison with the same period in 2006. Around a third record no change (33%) and one in five businesses (20%) report an overall decrease in customer levels compared with 2006.

A fuller report is being prepared at present and will be available to the industry shortly.

• If you have any further questions regarding the barometer and areas such as Tourism Investment, Tourism Employment, VisitScotland, Business Optimism, Tourism Prospects please to contact the Fife office on 01592 764 209.