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Glasgow's Tourism Industry

 

 

 

Volume and value

 

Glasgow has grown and developed as a tourism destination.  With over 10,000 hotel bedrooms, conference facilities including the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, a wealth of visitor attractions and strong retail offering, the city has adapted and developed quickly to respond to market opportunities.

 

Tourist numbers have increased consistently due to a combination of powerful marketing and a quality urban tourism product.  The city has demonstrated its ability to compete with the best on a world stage.

 

In 1995, 1.49 million trips were made by visitors to Glasgow, generating £263 million in spend.  In 2005 the city attracted 2.8 million trips, with expenditure of £700 million.

 

Some 29,640 people were employed in tourism-related activities in Glasgow in 2005, accounting for 7.6% of all jobs in Glasgow and representing 16.2% of the total tourism workforce in Scotland.

 

 

Visitor Profile

 

Leisure is the primary reason for visiting Glasgow, with 53% of UK and 48% of overseas visitors coming to the city for a leisure break.  The biggest growth area, however, in recent years has been discretionary business tourism.

 

According to International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) statistics for 2005, Glasgow is 33rd in the world for numbers of international association meetings held and 22nd for the number of international delegates hosted.

 

England continues to generate the bulk of visitors, and although the USA represents the single biggest country of origin for overseas visitors, mainland Europe remains the primary source of international tourism revenue.  The average length of stay in the city is three nights for UK visitors and 6.2 nights for those from overseas.

 

Closer examination of the visitor profile shows that Glasgow enjoys a broad market mix.  Short break tourists, for example, are drawn from a wide range of demographic age groups.  The most recent comprehensive visitor survey found that 80% of the city’s current tourist base is in the ABC1 socio-economic bracket, with high aspirational values and expectations.