November visitor numbers for ASVA member attractions
Added: 06 Jan 2022
The latest ASVA Visitor Attractions Barometer report – for November 2021 – is now available to view in the Members Area of our website.
This report for November provides us with the clearest picture yet of how the industry is faring since Scotland moved ‘beyond level 0’ in August. It is very clear that, despite the fact most restrictions on visitor numbers and travel have been lifted, there has yet to be a wholescale recovery of the attractions sector. However, the November data is the most encouraging we have seen thus far, with a number of attractions reporting visitor numbers close to or at 2019 levels. Of course, the impact of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 was not fully being felt in November, with the first case of the variant only being reported on the 27th of the month. We very much anticipate the December report will see a further significant downturn in visitation levels across the board as a result of the spread of Omicron.
The picture for November was similar to that seen in October, albeit slightly improved overall. This is likely down to the fact that consumer confidence in visiting attractions continued to rise between October and November, as well as the introduction of the Scottish Government backed Days Out Incentive Fund and VisitScotland Great Days Out Campaign, which provided participating attractions with the opportunity to offer discounted entry to their venues. Overall visitor numbers across ASVA member attractions were down 35.2% on pre-covid levels in 2019, an upturn of 4% on last month. The year-to-date figure, however, still sees the sector down 63.6% on 2019, therefore, despite the introduction of initiatives such as the Days Out fund, our sector is yet to see any really significant recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. This data will be used by ASVA to ensure that the Scottish Government and other key stakeholders are fully aware of the challenging conditions we continue to operate under, especially with the impact of Omicron now really being felt across the board.
We would encourage all ASVA members to participate in the monthly data collection exercise to ensure we build up as complete a picture as possible of industry performance. If you wish, you can submit your data for the report and request that your numbers remain confidential.
For more information, and to ensure that your attraction is included in both the monthly and annual reports, please get in touch with Hugh Sheridan at The Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Development. Hugh can be contacted at hugh.sheridan@gcu.ac.uk or 0141 273 1611.