Edinburgh hotel demand up 30% after summer of sporting events

Hotel demand for Edinburgh hotels was up 30% in Q3, making the city one of the top UK destinations following a busy summer of major international sporting events in Scotland. 

This is according to data from online travel agency Expedia Group, which found that searches for hotel stays in Edinburgh 17 November until year end, January 4, are also up more than 40% year-on-year.

International travellers from the US, Italy, Germany, Australia and Ireland were the most likely to search for hotel rooms in Edinburgh in the lead up to Christmas and the New Year. Indonesia, Venezuela and Austria were the fastest growing international travel markets searching for Edinburgh.

Searches to Glasgow were also up almost 50% compared with last year, with hotels in the city expected to see a busy year-end. The majority of hotel searches came from the US, Iceland, Canada, Ireland and Australia.

Expedia data from December 2013 also reveals that international travellers to Edinburgh and Glasgow stayed longer, booked further in advance and paid more for their room than British travellers.

Domestic travellers to Edinburgh stayed just 1.8 days, compared with the French, Norwegians and Germans who stayed around up to 1.5 days longer. Australian travellers booked their stay in Edinburgh a month and a half earlier than the Brits did – 89 days compared with 36 days for domestic travellers.

Australians also paid the most for their room in Edinburgh – £25 more than their British counterparts.

Isabelle Pinson, senior director of market management, UK & Ireland at Expedia, said: “Scotland has had a great year and it’s encouraging to see travellers continuing to search for Scottish cities in the lead up to Christmas. We’re not just seeing demand for Edinburgh and Glasgow but also Aberdeen and Inverness so we’re looking forward to helping our hotel partners finish the year with a bang.”