Diageo’s flagship Scotch whisky attraction in Edinburgh is toasting a “massive milestone”.
The drinks giant has revealed that it has now welcomed more than one million visitors from 141 countries to Johnnie Walker Princes Street in the three years it has been open.
The company said the five-star venue is now established as a "key destination" on the food and drink landscape, which is increasingly important to Scottish tourism.
According to the Scotland Visitor Survey 2023, nearly half (46%) of visitors to the country took part in food and drink activities during their stay, with 26% visiting a whisky, gin distillery or brewery, and 21% taking in a whisky distillery.
Vicki Miller, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “This is an amazing achievement by Johnnie Walker Princes Street. It is a testament to the investment and confidence of Diageo in creating a luxury visitor experience in the centre of the city, and the staff, whose work has maintained its popularity.
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“Scotch whisky is a unique part of our cultural heritage and as such is hugely important to what makes Scotland a must-visit destination. Our own research shows that a quarter of all visitors to Scotland take in a whisky, gin or brewery experience.
“Since opening in 2021, Johnnie Walker Princes Street has become an essential attraction while complementing the burgeoning food and drink experiences across the city. Its popularity will no doubt have helped support the successful post-pandemic recovery of international tourism.”
The Diageo attraction leverages artificial intelligence-powered personalisation technology to help visitors discover their personal flavour profile, which is then used to tailor their experience on Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s signature ‘journey to flavour’. So far, the experience has collected the flavour profiles of more than 100,000 guests, which Diageo noted is an “invaluable” resource for product development.
Diageo adds that the experience aims to inspire visitors to explore the wider world of Scotch whisky as it relates to their own personal tastes, and is breaking down barriers around how the spirit should be consumed. Nearly 700,000 whisky highballs and cocktails have been served since the venue opened.
The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, said: “It was incredibly exciting to visit Johnnie Walker Princes Street today to celebrate this hugely important milestone. It’s a fantastic attraction, making a huge contribution to Edinburgh’s tourism and the local economy. And of course, it’s a huge promotion for Scotch whisky, one of Scotland’s biggest success stories, and a key part of Brand Scotland.”
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