Glasgow has won one of international sport's biggest prizes -
the right to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014. The
announcement was made at the Commonwealth Games Federation's
General Assembly in Sri Lanka today, with delegates voting in
favour of Glasgow's bid by 47 to 24 for the Nigerian capital of
Abuja.
A 48-strong team from Glasgow and Scotland were in Sri Lanka for
the final round of lobbying and presentations, and Glasgow City
Marketing Bureau Chief Executive, Scott Taylor, was among them.
He said, "This is fantastic news! 2014 will catapult
Glasgow tourism to new heights. Like European City of Culture
1990, 2014 will act as a catalyst for investment and
regeneration, and spark a massive influx of visitors.
"Glasgow's ambitious new Tourism Strategy to 2016 has a target
of increasing tourism revenue to Glasgow by 60%, and the Games will
go a long way towards helping us achieve that.
"We anticipate around 100,000 additional visitors to the city in
the three years following the Games. But the long-term PR
benefit is immeasurable. Images of the modern, dynamic
Glasgow that we see today will be beamed into the homes of more
than one billion people world-wide - updating global perceptions of
the city at a stroke."
The Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow from 23 July -
3 August 2014. Over 70% of the venues are already in place in
Glasgow. An Athletes Village will be constructed in the East
End of the city to accommodate around 6,500 athletes and support
staff from 71 countries.
It is anticipated that the net economic benefit to Glasgow will
be £26 million, while the benefit to Scotland will be £81
million. In the three years following the Games, there could
be a net increase of 4% in tourism, which equates to approximately
£30 million in additional expenditure.
Further information is available from www.glasgow2014.com
Public Relations Excellence Award - Marketing Excellence Awards
Scotland 2007
M&IT Best UK Convention Bureau 2007
Chairman's Award for www.seeglasgow.com - DADI
Awards 2007