VisitScotland share tourist guide for the very best of Glaswegian food and drink

It comes as new research by the national tourism organisation found that almost a quarter of visitors to Glasgow took part in a food and drink experience as part of their trip. This rose to a third (33%) for visitors to the wider region. Top activities included visiting a farm shop or farmers market, enjoying fine dining, or trying a cookery class.   

The Scotland Visitor Survey 2023 aims to help understand why visitors take a holiday or short break in Scotland and how they rate their experiences when here.  

The findings revealed that almost half of visitors to Scotland took part in at least one food and drink  activity (in addition to eating out) during their trip last year, with nearly a fifth of long-haul visitors now naming food and drink as the reason for choosing Scotland as a destination.   

To help local businesses capitalise on this trend, VisitScotland, in partnership with Scotland Food & Drink, has created a free industry guide.   

Hosted on VisitScotland.org, the online guide contains information to ensure that businesses can cater for the interests and expectations of their visitors.     

Caroline Warburton, VisitScotland Destination Development Director, said: “Scotland’s reputation for food and drink is exceptional and Glasgow and the wider area are home to a diverse range of culinary delights from distilleries and farm shops, to top of the range restaurants and artisanal cafes.    

“We know that promoting food and drink is a recipe for success and this free resource on our VisitScotland.org website will provide a clear and practical guide to help industry understand how to make the most of this growing demand for food and drink experiences.    

“With particular demand for locally produced food and drink, developing this tourism offer can benefit those in the wider supply chain supporting communities and the economy as well as our own responsible tourism ambitions.”