21-07-2025
UNESCO Trail 'has raised Scotland's profile as a holiday destination'
It found that the trail not only raised Scotland's profile as a holiday destination but also as a 'global leader' in promoting UNESCO values and responsible, sustainable tourism practices – with other countries inspired to create their own version.
The evaluation reports that around one in twelve (8%) domestic visitors typically visit a UNESCO site while taking a holiday or short break in Scotland. This increases to around one in six (16%) for short-haul visitors and one in four (28%) for long-haul.
Visitor surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023 found that around a quarter of visitors from key European markets were aware of the trail, rising to a third from UK and North America.
Between 31% and 46% of visitors stated the trail was an important factor in their decision to visit a UNESCO site. The trail was most important for visitors to the Antonine Wall and New Lanark, followed by Shetland, Orkney, the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere and Old and New Towns of Edinburgh.
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Scotland's UNESCO Trail was launched as a digital trail in October 2021 – the first of its kind in the world – and included all 13 of Scotland's UNESCO designated sites at the time. The Flow Country, Perth City of Craft and Folk Art, and the Isle of Arran, which have since received UNESCO designation, have been added to the trail as it has been reworked.
Scotland was the first nation in the world to create the pioneering initiative, developed through a unique partnership between VisitScotland, the Scottish Government, the UK National Commission for UNESCO, Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, the National Trust for Scotland and Scotland's UNESCO designations.
The trail was designed specifically to support the ambitions of the national strategy to make Scotland a world-leading responsible tourism destination, encouraging visitors to stay longer and visit all year round in line with the country's responsible tourism ambitions.
All of Scotland's UNESCO designations stated that the trail encouraged collaborative working between them and the wider tourism sector.
Scotland's UNESCO Trail has received numerous accolades including a prestigious international award for responsible tourism ('Tourmag - Césars du Voyage Responsible' Award', Marseille March 2023), the Santagata Foundation Award and Wanderlust Sustainability Award (both November 2022).
In 2024, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed the Flow Country as a World Heritage Site (Image: Sam Rose) Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: 'Each one of Scotland's UNESCO sites tells a story of Scotland's rich and varied culture, history and heritage. Together, they form a powerful showcase of Scotland's unique proposition as a year-round sustainable tourism destination.
'The UNESCO Trail has been a pioneering project led by VisitScotland in partnership with sites across the country and this analysis shows the clear value of the initiative as it helps build a compelling story that is attracting tourists and visitors from across the world to our incredible, unique UNESCO sites up and down the country.'
Professor Anne Anderson OBE, Chair, UK National Commission for UNESCO, said: 'At the UK National Commission for UNESCO we are delighted with this final evaluation report of the award-winning Scotland UNESCO Trail. The Trail is an exemplar of how a national tourism board and a UNESCO National Commission can come together with a national network of UNESCO sites to create and deliver a product that has measurable positive visitor impact, and real-world social and economic benefits for local communities.
'The Scotland UNESCO Trail continues to resonate with UNESCO Member States around the world, who see this as a model to emulate. We would like to thank VisitScotland and the Scottish Government for their coordination and financial support of this truly valuable and ground-breaking initiative.'
Vicki Miller, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: 'Scotland's UNESCO Trail was a major milestone in Scotland's responsible tourism ambitions. It helped support our work to encourage visitors to slow down and immerse themselves in our marvellous regions, ensuring the benefits of the visitor economy are felt right across our communities.
'Scotland's UNESCO designations encapsulate much of what makes Scotland a must-visit must-return destination. It is our unique landscape, history, heritage and culture that keep visitors coming back.
'Partnership working is at the heart of all that we do, and the Trail was a real collaboration between the industry, our national partners, UNESCO sites and the Scottish Government to raise our destination's profile on the global stage. These results show that it not only captured the imagination of our visitors but helped develop new relationships between UNESCO sites and the wider tourism sector.'
