Tourism Economy Spotlight – June 2024

Here’s a roundup of the latest highlights shaping Edinburgh’s tourism scene:

• New Food and Beverage Businesses: Our research indicates that Edinburgh welcomed at least 9 new food and beverage businesses last month, adding to the city’s vibrant culinary landscape.
• Exciting news as Resident Hotels will open a new 164-bedroom hotel at Drumsheugh Gardens in Edinburgh’s West End this September.
• Edinburgh’s year-to-date footfall is slightly ahead of 2023, up by 0.1%.
• Plans to build an 8,500-capacity indoor arena on the outskirts of Edinburgh have received approval. The arena, spanning 18,500 square meters across three levels, is expected to attract approximately 700,000 visitors annually, according to AEG.
• Edinburgh Airport’s profits soared last year as passenger numbers returned to 98% of their pre-COVID levels. Annual accounts show an operating profit of £144.7 million for 2023, up from £81.5 million the previous year – a 77.5% increase. Passenger numbers rose from 11.3 million in 2022 to 14.4 million in 2023, marking a 28% increase.
• Don’t forget to visit Forever Edinburgh’s Free Industry Toolkit, which we recently launched and offers tourism businesses opportunities to gain exposure and enhance their offerings.