The graph illustrates the proportion of visitors to four different types of attractions in Scotland between 1980 and 2010.
Overall, castle visits and zoo excursions gained in popularity over the period, eventually overtaking the other attractions. Conversely, the proportion of tourists to festivals decreased gradually, while a marked plunge in aquarium interest made it the least frequented attraction by the end of the period.
In 1980, most tourists going to Scotland attended festivals, constituting nearly one-third of all visitors, compared with under the 25% who visited castles. The former, however, experienced a consistent decline of about 2-3% every half a decade, settling at almost 20% in 2010. Concurrently, castle goers increased sharply to peak at 45% in 1995 before falling to 35% and still being the largest figure at the end of the period.
Regarding aquariums and zoos, the percentage of those sightseeing Scotland’s zoos, albeit a modest beginning at 10% in 1980 and mild fluctuations until 2000, rose considerably to over 20%, only lower than the figure for castle tours. The percentage of people seeking marine-life encounters commenced at 20%, double the start of zoo visitors, witnessed a noticeable surge of 15% in 1985, reaching its highest point at 35% and being the most visited attraction in that year. Despite such growth, there was a significant drop to 10% in the figure for aquariums in 2010, half the figure for its nearest competitor, festivals.