Scotland is becoming one of Europe’s more popular destinations, with STR Global, a company that researches the hospitality industry, having released a report that ranked three cities in Scotland as being among the top five European destinations in terms of hotel occupancy.
The three Scottish cities that made it into the top five hotel occupancy locations in Europe are, Inverness (second in the list), Edinburgh (third) and Stirling (fifth). Other Scottish cities that made it into the top 20 European destinations listed by STR Global for the highest hotel occupancy, are Dundee, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and St Andrews (seventeenth).
The summer of 2012 has seen rise in occupancy rates, with large hotel companies making major investments in Scotland. Marriott International has opened a first Residence Inn branded property in Edinburgh, while Hilton Worldwide has added The Caledonian Edinburgh Castle to its Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts brand.
Danny Cusick, the president for Americas, of Scottish Development International, an economic development, trade and investment organisation, said, ‘Scotland encourages global brands to take full advantage of our burgeoning tourism sector. Thanks to investments from major players in the industry, our reputation for world-class hospitality is now matched with luxury hotels.’
The investment in hotels in Scotland comes at a time when the country can expect to cater for a major inflow of overseas visitors, reaching an annual average of 15 million, with additional hotel rooms required for the upcoming Commonwealth games and the Ryder Cup, events that are set to make the country a global tourist destination.
