V&A Dundee boosts Scottish economy by £75m in a year

The V&A Dundee museum had a £75m impact on the Scottish economy last year, research has suggested.

The figure, outlined in a new study commissioned by the museum, is well in excess of the £23m boost it was expected to have.

Visitors to the museum were also found to have been worth £21m to the Dundee economy – beyond the £10m expected impact.

Consultancy firm Ekosgen, which carried out the research, attributed the figures to higher than anticipated visitor numbers and an increasing proportion of overseas visitors on longer trips around Scotland.

A total of 833,015 people were estimated to have visited the museum during the study period of the 12 months following its opening in September 2018.

The study also claims the museum supported the equivalent of 696 jobs in Dundee, with 2,143 across Scotland.

Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, said the figures highlight the value of investing in cultural centres.

“This new research shows very powerfully how V&A Dundee has had wide economic benefits, within our own city and across the whole country,” he said.

“It demonstrates the value of investing in world-class cultural centres like V&A Dundee to boost tourism and create jobs, as well as the essential contribution the museum is making as a cultural institution promoting design creativity.”

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the museum had “more than proved” its cultural value.

“V&A Dundee is a powerful symbol of Dundee’s new confidence and the strong future of design and innovation across our nation,” she said.

“In its first year it has far exceeded expectations for visitor numbers and proved an incredible success in boosting Scotland’s attractiveness to those looking for world-class cultural experiences.

“The Scottish Government provided £38m towards the construction of the building and committed extra funding to support its first 10 years of activity.

“It has more than proved its cultural value and I welcome this report in highlighting the economic value of this flagship museum.”

Tim Allan, chairman of V&A Dundee’s board, said the site has helped to drive business confidence in the city.

“These economic impact figures are exceptional and clearly show the huge impact that V&A Dundee has already had within its home city and right across Scotland,” he said.

“The museum is driving business confidence within Dundee and developing the city as an international tourism destination, both of which will develop in the coming years as everyone in the city continues working together to make this impact felt by all of our communities.”