The Current Pulse: ASVA & State of the Nation
Added: 19 May 2026
The latest ASVA Visitor Attraction Barometer report confirms visits to member attractions dipped by 3.1% in March compared to last year, and the year-to-date (YTD) figure is down 5.2%.
It’s not a uniform decline, though. Heritage Centres saw a nearly 20% boost in March. However, our island communities are feeling the brunt of current travel trends, with visits down 27% YTD to March. This aligns with the VisitBritain State of the Nation report. We’re seeing a “slow start” to 2026. Inbound flight bookings are tracking several percent below last year, and domestic travellers are increasingly worried about the cost of fuel, which has jumped significantly (petrol up 23%, diesel up 50% year-on-year).
Consumer confidence is currently at its lowest level since 2023. People still want to travel, and the “cost of living” effect within households isn’t a headline anymore, it’s actively changing behaviour. The biggest shift right now is fuel anxiety. In April, 34% of people cited the cost of fuel as a major barrier to taking a trip, a sharp jump from 22% in March. With petrol up 23% and diesel up 50% year-on-year, the “spontaneous Sunday drive” to an attraction is becoming a luxury many are calculating twice.
The “Ripple Effect”
When we talk about these numbers, we aren’t just talking about tickets sold or footfall to attractions. It’s a constituent part of the visitor economy in Scotland, which supports 245,000 jobs, that’s 1 in every 11 jobs in the country.
The scale of this “ripple effect” is significant:
– Supply Chains: Tourism fuels our food and drink, transport, and construction sectors.
– Investment: Major projects like Edinburgh’s Dunard Centre are projected to generate £169.4m in GVA over 20 years.
– Regeneration: Look at the V&A Dundee, which has generated £304m for the Scottish economy since opening.
Socially conscious traveller – 73% of visitors want their expenditure to benefit locals
As a sector, Visitor Attractions can’t ignore that 26% of consumers (According to the GB National Tourist Board Sentiment Tracker) say they’re likely to reduce overnight trips this year. As attraction operators, we need to be “Holiday Helpers.” We need to stop viewing attractions as isolated sites and start seeing them as the heartbeat of our destinations. Yes, the economic outlook is “challenging,” and inflation (forecast at 3.9%) is squeezing margins. But the shift toward “socially conscious travel”, where 73% of visitors want their expenditure to benefit locals, is a huge opportunity for Scottish attractions to prove their value beyond the gift shop.
Let’s focus on being “Holiday Helpers” for families and the “Adventure Luxe” for the active, ensuring our attractions remain the cornerstone of Scotland’s prosperity.
Article credit: Chris Greenwood | Senior Research Fellow | Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development