Scotland’s tourism sector is outshining the rest of the UK when it comes to employment, with worker numbers increasing at more than twice the rate as the rest of the UK.

According to VisitScotland, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded an increase of tourism employment of 11 per cent, significantly larger than the rest of the UK, which was just 4 per cent.

Scotland’s tourism sector accounts for 9 per cent of the total number of jobs in the country, with 217,000 people working in the sector. Edinburgh and Glasgow are the two largest employers, while in Argyll and Bute, tourism accounted for nearly a fifth of all employment.

The 15,700 tourism workers in the Highlands makes up 14 per cent of the region’s total, the same percentage as Perth and Kinross, which employs 8,700 people in the industry.

Between 2014 and 2015, there was a 7 per cent increase (to 89,000) in the number of people working in Scotland’s restaurants. At 41 per cent, this makes up the biggest sector of the tourism industry.

53,000 work in hotels and other accommodation, while 37,200 are involved in “beverage serving activities” – a sector which saw a 27 per cent increase on 2014 figures and which now comprises 17 per cent of the total.

“Our tourism industry is going from strength to strength and these figures serve to highlight the vital role that tourism plays in Scotland’s economy,” said Scottish tourism secretary Fiona Hyslop

They also show how important the industry is to our rural and coastal economies. Our food and drink sectors continue to play an important role in attracting our visitors and creating employment opportunities.

“Scotland is famed for its warm welcome, incredible scenery and top class attractions. This was illustrated recently when Scotland was ranked second in the Rough Guides list of the best countries in the world to visit in 2017.”