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I know percentages greater than 100%, based on extended time periods, to get an eye-catching headline, just what I accuse others of doing. However, I’m doing it in a cool, self-aware, hipster, ironic way.
From the news.gov.scot site yesterday:
‘Total spend by Chinese visitors to Scotland has increased by 414% – from £7 million to £36 million since 2007. Over the same period, the number of visitors from China has increased by 192%, with 41,000 visits in 2016. The figures were highlighted by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Beijing on the first full day of her visit to China. She attended an evening reception to preview a new global marketing campaign, launching later this week to invite people from around the world to live, work, visit and invest in Scotland.’
https://news.gov.scot/news/chinese-tourism-spend-increases
For whisky and kilt-related analysis of this trend see these:
After 45% increase in Whisky exports to China, they cut the tariffs by 10%. Eh?
For discussion of the ethical considerations when trading with countries with poor human rights records see:
Why Nicola Sturgeon has little reason to protest China’s human rights record
For discussion of the ethical considerations when trading with countries planning to bomb the shit out of more Syrian civilians in order to teach Syrian elites not to bomb the shit out of Syrian civilians, contact the US government.
Talking-up Scotland 
Scotland has a very highly successful higher education sector attracting large numbers of students from overseas, with China in particular providing very high numbers. I suspect that a fair proportion of the increased number of visitors from China with their increased spend comprises a large proportion of mammies and daddies visiting their offspring.
An amusing news report from about a year ago: Many of the Chinese students live in halls of residence accommodation in the Partick area of Glasgow. Just before the start of term it was reported that the branch of Morrison’s supermarket in Partick had to send out to the bank for more small denomination notes because so many Chinese students stocking their larders were presenting £100 notes to pay for their groceries!
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