Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games a 'milestone' in Scottish tourism

Tourism industry leaders have welcomed the news that Glasgow is to hold the 2014 Commonwealth Games, describing the award as a “milestone” in the Scotland’s ambitions to grow its tourism trade by half.

Philip Riddle, chief executive of VisitScotland, said the award of the Games was an outstanding achievement.

“The capital investment required to host the Games, the worldwide media coverage and the projected increase in tourism in the years following the Games makes this a milestone in our progress towards growing revenues by 50% by 2015,” he said.

In April, Riddle questioned the 50% target, suggesting it would not be reached without a steady, substantial increase in tourism marketing funding in the country.

VisitBritain chief executive Tom Wright said the Games represented a fantastic opportunity to showcase the city to as many as one billion people.

“Glasgow is the fifth most popular destination in Britain for international travellers and we look forward to seeing the additional benefit this win will bring,” he said.

Delhi will host the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

• The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the ambition to increase tourism revenue by 50% by 2015

Key questions to be considered include:

-How realistic is the proposed ambition? How was this ambition set and on what basis can it be reached?

-What are the specific challenges in Scotland ’s tourism industry in relation to skills, training, quality standards, service levels and leadership and how can these be overcome?

-What are the other challenges in meeting the growth ambition and what can be done by both the public and private sectors to overcome these?

-What are the implications of the Scottish Government’s plans for VisitScotland, how will its role change, particularly in relation to its relationship with the formed enterprise network and Scottish Development International, and its increased responsibilities for attracting international visitors?

-The full terms and reference for the call for evidence can be viewed at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/eet/index.htm

The closing date for receipt of written submissions is 19 December.

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By Chris Druce

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