Press release -
DONE AND DUSTED!
Final preparations are underway for what could be a record-breaking summer for some of the country’s leading visitor attractions.
Staff at venues such as the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow have been dusting down statues, sweeping exhibition rooms and making sure attractions are looking their very best, ahead of what promises to be a busy summer for Scotland.
In just a few weeks, hundreds of thousands of people will descend on Glasgow as the city plays host to the XX Commonwealth Games.
The Games is expected to draw thousands of new visitors to both Glasgow and Scotland, meaning that attractions located near these official venues are likely to see an increase in visitors.
A recent survey conducted by Glasgow 2014 found that 80% of spectators are interested in finding out more about what else there is to see and do in Glasgow, with almost three quarters of people expressing a specific desire to receive more information about visitor attractions.
Whilst the majority of official Games venues are in Glasgow, events such as diving, shooting and triathlon will be held in the Commonwealth Pool in the Capital, Barry Buddon in Carnoustie and Strathclyde Country Park in Motherwell.
It means that museums, galleries and other tourism services in Glasgow and further afield in Edinburgh, Lanarkshire and Angus are also likely to benefit from a rise in footfall as people take a break from the sporting action to explore the local area.
Last year, attractions such as The National Museum of Scotland, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Riverside Museum and the Glasgow Science Centre were among the busiest in the country, welcoming a total of around 4 million visitors through their doors.
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said: “The Commonwealth Games offers a unique opportunity to show the world exactly what Scotland has to offer, from world-class events to diverse culture, stunning landscapes and welcoming people. Our friendly and informative VisitScotland Information Centres staff will be on hand throughout the Games to help ensure visitors have the experience of a lifetime when they arrive in Scotland.
“I am certain that visitor attractions - many of which are located near official Games venues such as the SSE Hydro, the SECC and the Commonwealth Pool- will be a big draw to spectators looking for that perfect blend of sport and culture.”
Councillor Archie Graham, Chair of Glasgow Life, said: “This is Glasgow’s time to shine on a massive, global stage. Glasgow is Scotland’s cultural powerhouse, with award-winning museums and a fantastic array of music and performance venues and we are looking forward to sharing them with the world during the Games.
“Glasgow boasts nine civic museums, including the treasures of the Burrell Collection and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and our most recent addition, the Riverside Museum, was crowned as the 2013 European Museum of the Year. We look forward to opening our doors to visitors from across the world and right here on our own doorstep for what promises to be an incredible summer.”
For further information contact: Louise Purves
Corporate Press Officer
Tel: 0131 472 2052
Louise.purves@visitscotland.com
Out of hours media enquiries: 07699 766986
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- glasgow 2014 commonwealth games
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors:
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
