Capital tourists 'want to return'

Visitors said they planned to return to Edinburgh in the future

Edinburgh's reputation as a top visitor attraction has received a boost after a survey of tourists found the majority planned to return to the city.

The survey, based on 738 interviews with visitors over a year from January 2007, found shopping, transport and restaurants were all rated highly.

The study, produced by TNS Travel and Tourism, was commissioned by Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG).

It was funded by Edinburgh City Council VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise.

Sinead Guerin, VisitScotland regional director, said the survey would also create opportunities for ETAG to look at areas of potential improvement to further develop the tourism offering in the city.

She said: "The findings show 96% of visitors to Edinburgh rated the performance of the city as good and the majority of those surveyed expressed a desire to return to the city in the next few years.

"The city's transport, retail, bar and restaurant offering all rated highly with the majority of visitors being surveyed considering Edinburgh to offer a value-for-money experience."