The number of people working in Scotland’s tourism sector increased by 24,500 to 206,000 in the five years after the introduction of the National Tourism Strategy in 2012, VisitScotland has announced.

Edinburgh has the highest rate of tourism employment, followed by Glasgow, Highland and Aberdeen.

Chris Greenwood, Senior Tourism Insight Manager at VisitScotland said: “These figures show positive news for the sector, with an overall rise in jobs since the National Tourism Strategy came into place.

“The visitor economy causes a ripple effect that touches every industry, business and community in the country – from laundry services to life sciences.

“Tourism is the driving force for providing the jobs of today and tomorrow – for every £60,000 spent by visitors, a new job is created in Scotland.

“Tourism is more than a holiday experience – it is the heartbeat of the Scottish economy and touches every community, generating income, jobs and social change.”