By Jack McKeown and Grant Hill

TOURISM IN Scotland has recovered from the foot-and-mouth crisis, with Dundee and Angus one of the strongest performing regions, according to VisitScotland’s annual report published yesterday.

Visitor numbers to Scotland increased by 5% last year, with tourist spending rising by 8% over the same period, bringing tourism in Scotland back to 2000 levels.

These increases were more than double the UK average.

The events of September 11 and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have impacted on overseas visitors however, especially the American market.

Angus and Dundee outperformed the Scottish average, with tourist income showing a greater percentage increase than for Scotland as a whole.

The number of bed nights last year for Angus and Dundee increased by a third to 2.25 million, up from 1.69 million the previous year.

Income from tourists from the UK was up by £7 million on 2001 at £78 million.

Figures from the overseas market were not as strong, however, with the number of bed nights from foreign visitors down to 300,000 last year from half a million in 2001 and expenditure down £1 million for the same period at £16 million.

Overall, however, tourist spending in Angus and Dundee increased by £6 million.

The report also reveals that 200,000 people across Scotland are employed in the tourist industry and claims that every £1 of taxpayers money spent on marketing by VisitScotland produced £12 for the Scottish tourism industry.

A spokesman for VisitScotland said that encouraging UK residents to take holidays in Scotland had paid off, and praised the work done by Angus and Dundee Tourist Board in encouraging visitors to the region.

“The number of visitors in 2002 has returned to 2000 levels but spending has increased by just under £100 million over that time, so we’re ahead on 2000 levels in terms of spending.

“The major thing for us has been working in the UK market.

“There’s a big stay-at-home factor with the international situation like it is.

“We’ve worked with budget airlines to attract tourists both from the UK and Europe and although the American market has been down we’re not walking away from it.

“Angus and Dundee have done very well.

“Their location close to the central belt and the new superfast ferry being on the doorstep has helped.

“The work being done by Colin Smith (Angus and Dundee Tourist Board chief executive) and the tourist board has been very proactive and given the area a real boost.”

Jillian Ogston, operations manager of Angus and Dundee Tourist Board said, “The positive figures for the whole of Scotland are very much mirrored in Angus and Dundee.”