New survey results released today show that Glasgow is winning the battle to lure more foreign visitors to the city, but is falling well behind when it comes to attracting domestic tourists. The City Tourism Index shows that overseas visitors to the city jumped a massive 76% since the millennium, up from 430,000 to 755,000 visitors per year. The figures also showed that local spending by foreign tourists increased by 80%, from £137million per year in 2000 to £247m in 2008.

Key city attractions over the period include the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the best shopping experience in the UK outside London, music concerts at venues across the city, Celtic and Rangers football matches, other major sporting events such as the Champions' League and UEFA Cup finals, as well as a wide range of themed festivals including Glasgow's Winter Festivals and Glasgow River Festival.


However, the visitor numbers for domestic tourists plummeted over the same time period, down 48%, from 2.8 million to 1.45 million, a loss of 1.35 million visitors. Worryingly, the fall meant that Glasgow dropped from 2nd place in the UK for homegrown visitors down to 7th.

Glasgow continues to battle with rapidly-improving destinations in the north of England, particularly Liverpool, which has successfully repositioned itself as the cultural capital of the North.

It is hoped developments on Glasgow's riverside, such as the new Riverside Museum and improved tourist walkways along the Clyde, will help provide a welcome boost for tourism in the city over the next decade.

An upbeat Scott Taylor, CEO of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said:

GG.

Sorry GG, but I can't see why this is "mixed fortunes" for Glasgow???

The number of tourists coming to Glasgow per year has in fact fell from 3.2 million in 2000 to 2.2 million in 2008. In my opinion this is a complete and unmitigated disaster for the Glasgow tourism industry at a time when the city has never been more dependent on it. Maybe I'm missing something though?