Overview: Modelling by Sip Seekers indicates £96m additional direct revenue potential for the industry over five years if tourist distillery visit conversion rises from 20% to 30%. Total economic opportunity is estimated at over £200m including wider tourism impact.
The Full Story
Victoria Miller, founder of Sip Seekers, highlighted the opportunity following a December launch where approximately 70% of Scottish distillery visitor centres signed up to the platform. The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) recorded 2.7 million visits to distilleries in 2024, surpassing the 2019 record of 2.61 million. Average direct revenue spend per head is around £48.
Ms Miller noted that only two in 10 overnight visitors currently visit distilleries, creating a gap for additional direct revenue if lifted to three in 10. The industry has endured challenging periods after the Covid-era spike faded amid geopolitical and economic headwinds. Diageo recently closed the visitor centre at Clynelish Distillery in Brora following a review of operations, though Ms Miller noted the opportunity remains for distilleries to tap into the tourist market.
Brand & Industry History
The Scotch whisky industry has faced challenges in recent years after sales faded quickly amid economic headwinds. Victoria Miller worked in sales and marketing roles with St Andrews distiller Eden Mill, Aceo Spirits and Murray McDavid before launching Sip Seekers. She noted that direct-to-consumer tourism has become more important rather than less as distillers face challenges in markets around the world.
What This Means
Distilleries represent the most-visited tourist attraction in Scotland, with more than 60% of visitors in 2024 coming from overseas. The economic impact extends far beyond what is spent at the visitor centre, as rural areas host more than half of Scotland’s distilleries. Sip Seekers aims to make Scotland’s drinks tourism easier to discover and book, addressing fragmented websites and booking systems.
Consumer Takeaway
Whisky lovers can access experiences that aren’t normally open to the public through Sip Seekers Unlocked, such as behind-the-scenes access at Aberargie Distillery in Perthshire. The platform offers real-time availability, location and price filtering and booking integrations to help people plan or discover experiences once they are there.
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