Finance & DevelopmentMarket ReportsScotland Hotel Occupancy Rates Lead Europe

Scotland Hotel Occupancy Rates Lead Europe

EDINBURGH, Scotland—A recently released report by hotel analyst STR Global shows that Scottish cities account for three of the top five European cities with the highest hotel occupancy—a 60 percent share. Among Europe’s top five leading hotel occupancy locations are Inverness (second), Edinburgh (third) and Stirling (fifth).

Other Scottish cities on STR Global’s list include Dundee (seventh), Glasgow (eleventh), Aberdeen (twelfth), and St. Andrews (seventeenth). St. Andrews also placed second highest in RevPar (revenue per available room), only outpaced by Paris and followed by London.

The summer spike in occupancy rates is reflective of this year’s major hotel investments from luxury hotel giants such as Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide. In January, Marriott established the UK’s first Residence Inn branded property in Edinburgh, while this summer Hilton integrated The Caledonian Edinburgh Castle with their Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts brand.

The investments are slated to meet the tourism sector demands of Scotland’s influx of overseas visitors. Already at an annual average of 15 million, travelers are expected to increase even more for upcoming events such as the Commonwealth games, the Ryder Cup and most recently, the Olympics.

“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,” says Danny Cusick, President, Americas, Scottish Development International, the country’s economic development, trade and investment organization, in an announcement.

The STR global hotel occupancy rates suggest that the Scottish hotel industry may generate one of the highest returns in Europe in 2012 and solidify Scotland’s position as a global tourist destination.

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