Tartan Army Euros fun boosts tourism in Scotland

Months have passed since the kilts were packed away and the hangovers cured, yet the echoes of Scotland's summer of fun in Germany continue to resonate.

The cities that welcomed hundreds of thousands of Scottish fans during the Euros have long since returned to normal, but it seems the effects of what took place there are still being felt.

Tourism experts report a surge in German visitors to Scotland, with some attributing this trend to the friendships forged by the Tartan Army during their time overseas.

An estimated 200,000 Scotland fans travelled to Germany to support Steve Clarke’s team in their first major overseas tournament since the 1998 World Cup.

On the pitch, the side struggled and failed to qualify for the knock out phase of the tournament, but for two weeks fans partied with the locals in Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart and beyond - making memories and friendships that would last a lifetime.

“It’s one of those where you had to be there to really understand what it was like,” said Craig Ferguson, who gained social media fame by walking in his kilt from Glasgow to Munich.

The 21-year-old has been back to Germany several times and has even become friends with the Mayor of Munich.

“Pretty much on the daily I’ve been getting messages from people in Germany saying ‘look Craig, we want to come to Scotland now because of what we've seen, what the Scottish people were like, in our cities over the summer’.

“For sure there’s not just people saying they want to come, but there are actually people booking flights to come, which is fantastic.

“I’ve been back a number of times and even off the back of what happened in the summer, people hear the Scottish accent and instantly say ‘no way, are you from Scotland?’

“It’s like they remember the positive connotations that came along with that and it’s just amazing."

Travel companies too are seeing evidence that something changed during those few weeks of football.

“The number of Germans visiting Edinburgh has increased by 156% year on year,” noted Mohit Joshi from travel company Skyscanner.

“What’s fascinating is that the Scottish fans brought warmth, kindness, and humour to Germany - qualities that the locals truly admired.

“This curiosity has sparked a growing interest in Scotland, reflected in the rising search queries.”

Visit Scotland anticipates a clearer picture of the impact next year, but they say that searches in Germany for Scotland as a holiday destination surged by 57% during the tournament itself.

While it’s difficult to prove beyond doubt what effect Scotland’s Euros party has really had on tourism, those in the hospitality sector are noticing a clear connection.

Andy Barton, owner of the HairyCoo bus tour company, which takes tourists to destinations like Skye and Loch Ness, has observed a significant upturn in German visitors and is convinced something is happening.

“Last year, we welcomed around 3,000 Germans on our tours; this year alone, that number has jumped to about 5,000,” he said.

“If we can build on the momentum from Germany this summer, it would be fantastic for Scotland.”

For evidence of what impact the Scotland fans had on their German hosts, look no further than Martina Spiech from Cologne.

After spending two weeks celebrating with Scottish fans in her hometown, she completely fell in love with a country she has yet to visit.

To commemorate her experience, she got a giant tattoo of the lion and thistle, inked down her calf.

Martina also joined the newly formed Cologne Tartan Army fan group and can’t wait to explore Scotland.

“I truly fell in love with Scotland and wanted to show my affection in any way I can, even though I’ve never been there,” she said.

She is also convinced there are many more like her who loved what they saw in the summer and now have Scotland top of their list of places to visit.

She said: “I think many people here were maybe thinking about it but after mixing with so many Scottish people in the summer, now they are saying ‘we have to go'.”