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Value of Tourism in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Latest Results
The visitor economy generated £1.37 billion in economic impact in 2025, a real-term increase of 4.5% on 2024.
Aberdeen city and shire welcomed almost 3.5 million day visitors in 2025, an increase of 33.4% on 2024. This uplift was significantly boosted by the hosting of the Tall Ships Race in July.
The region welcomed more than 3.6 million staying visitors in 2025, maintaining strong levels of demand seen in 2024.
The tourism sector directly employed more than 11,700 full-time equivalent jobs in 2025, an increase of 2.7% on 2024.
With increasing pressures on household budgets in the UK and in key source markets, it is encouraging that the North-east held its ground in a highly competitive market last year. While the growth in day trips demonstrates the importance of major events, the lion’s share of the economic impact continues to be driven by overnight visits which account for 80% of the £1.37 billion total.
Explore the Results
You can read more about the results for the region as a whole, Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire (excluding the city).
What is STEAM?
The figures shared here are the result of independent research conducted by Global Tourism Solutions, using the Scottish Tourism Economic Activity Model (STEAM) framework.
This research helps identify the value of tourism to the area, by measuring tourism from the bottom up, based on a range of sources provided by VisitAberdeenshire and Global Tourism Solutions.
The results from this research directly informs the region's Destination Strategy Key Performance Indicators.
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