The tourism and events industry is to come together later this month for the official launch of Glasgow’s 2030 Tourism Strategy.
Representatives will gather in the city to learn more about the plan and how it will strengthen Glasgow as a tourist destination.
It comes after new figures revealed that Glasgow attracted 2.65 million visitors in 2022 who stayed in the city as part of a holiday or short break.
They brought an associated spend to the city of £953 million and overnight visitors stayed for three nights on average.
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The launch of the Glasgow 2030 Tourism Strategy at Trades House on October 26 will be the first time the industry has come together since the strategy was approved at Glasgow City Council’s City Administration Committee last month.
The strategy outlines plans to grow the value of tourism in the city by delivering for visitors, businesses, communities, and the environment.
The goal is for tourism to make an even stronger contribution to making Glasgow an attractive place for people to live in, invest in, study, meet, and visit.
Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life, said: “Tourism plays a vital role in Glasgow’s economy and helps to showcase the city as a vibrant and dynamic destination. Our refreshed strategy will make sure tourism benefits and creates value for Glaswegians. Whether that’s helping develop careers in the visitor economy, improving people’s skills through volunteering at major events or simply providing the opportunity for people to enjoy the city’s cultural life.
“The strategy also focuses on enhancing the incredible experiences our city has to offer to give visitors and locals reasons to keep returning to Glasgow. This means continuing to invest in and improve our wonderful attractions and globally recognised programme of year-round events and festivals.
“Sustainability and inclusivity are increasingly important for people when choosing where to travel for both business and leisure. Glasgow is already a leading sustainable tourism and conference destination and is ranked 6th in the world and 1st in the UK on the Global Destination Sustainability Index. Our strategy will build on this by supporting the industry to build a sustainable tourism sector and championing green change.”
VisitScotland’s Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead is part of the Glasgow Tourism Partnership leadership group and said: “This summer, with the Banksy show attracting record numbers and the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds wowing crowds across the city, Glasgow has yet again made headlines around the world, both as a leading cultural destination and as an expert host of major international events.
“By embracing responsible tourism, this new strategy to 2030 sets out a blueprint to build on such successes and continue to bring far-reaching benefits for our visitors, businesses and the residents of neighbourhoods across Glasgow.
“We will be working alongside our partners and the industry in Glasgow to help deliver the new strategy, so that tourism continues to be a force for good, creating jobs and enriching the city’s communities.”
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