Middle East invests US $18bn in Scottish tourism

Research undertaken by Scottish Development International in association with MSCI, found that Arab businesses have recognised the potential and started to invest into Scotland’s tourism market.

New data shows that Scotland continues to perform well within European league tables for hotel occupancy levels. The total returns for investors in Scottish leased hotels have grown 9.5% year on year over the last five years.

Scottish Development International regional manager Middle East Tom Marchbanks said: “Scotland has established itself as a primary destination for high end tourists from the Arab world because of what it has to offer in terms of its authenticity, excellent hospitality and diverse experiences.

"With Emirates Airline two daily non-stop flights from Dubai to Glasgow, Scotland has become more accessible for those travelling from the Middle East through. Some of the world’s best global hospitality brands are based in this region and we are seeing more of them looking at the investment opportunities that Scotland has to offer.”

Total returns from hotels ranked Scotland as the second best market out of 13 competitive European countries with regards to total investment returns in the leased hotel sector.

Scottish hotels produced a total return of 15.2% year-on-year for investors in 2014. This reflects a further strengthening of performance from 2013, when a return of 9.2% year-on-year was recorded.