Taste for single malts puts distillery visits high on the must-see list

This interest is not only evidenced by record volumes of single malt exports to China, but also in the increasing number of visitors from the country to whisky distilleries in Scotland.

A record 1.9 million visits were made to the distilleries in 2017. Visitor centers reported that the highest number of tourists came from Germany and the United States, followed by those from India, China and Japan, Littlejohn said.

"There is significant room for growth as Chinese consumers learn more about the heritage, craft and quality of Scotch whisky," he added.

Diageo, a leading British alcoholic beverages company that owns 28 distilleries, 12 of which have a visitor center, saw a 147 percent rise in Chinese arrivals at these centers in 2017.

Katie Waugh, visitor center marketing manager at Diageo, said: "When the Chinese think of Scotland, whisky is the most prominent link. This link with the whisky market in China and the growth in Chinese tourists is why we continue to see a growth in Chinese visitors to the distilleries."

Waugh said she noted Chinese visitors were now arriving in Scotland as individual travelers, rather than with tour groups.

"The demographics of the Chinese travelers have changed－from the baby boom generation to 18-to 34-year-olds," she said. "These travelers enjoy authentic experiences and are looking for bespoke tours, which is what Scotland and distilleries in particular are great at."

Popular Edinburgh tourist attraction The Scotch Whisky Experience is also seeing a boom prompted by Chinese visitors. More than 14,400 tourists from the country visited the attraction during the first 11 months of last year.

Rosie Willmot, digital marketing manager at The Scotch Whisky Experience, said, "The number of Chinese visitors has increased by 100 percent in five years.

"Chinese made up 7 percent of all our visitors in 2017, and it was also the year that saw China become our third-largest international market, behind only the US and France."

Willmot said Chinese visitors are becoming more interested in the provenance of the brands they buy.