VisitScotland’s CEO Malcolm Roughead, with over 20 years of service, will retire later this year, initiating a recruitment process for a new chief executive to continue leading the national tourism organization.
Tourism contributes significantly to the Scottish economy, exceeding €4.7bn annually, with international visitors making 1.2m visits to Scotland in Q2 of 2023, spending a record €1.1bn according to the London based Office of National Statistics.
Roughead reflected on his tenure, highlighting the challenges and opportunities faced during his leadership, expressing confidence in VisitScotland’s continued success and supporting the transition before his retirement.
In Q2 of 2023, inbound visits to Scotland surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with significant increases in visitor numbers, spending, nights spent, average spend per visit, and average length of stay compared to Q2 of 2019 and 2022
