Glasgow rated highly by Rough Guide travel website
Published by Simon Gwynn on Sat 09 Jun 12 @ 22:10
Glasgow has received a glowing accolade alongside New York, Barcelona and other major cities, in a new report by respected world travel information provider Rough Guides.
Its popular website published an article this week headlined " Cities which aren't the capital - but should be!"
Only five were named and Glasgow was one of those chosen along with Barcelona, New York, Venice and St Petersburg.
Said Rough Guides: "Instead of hitting Edinburgh yet again for its castle, its festivals and its not-much-else, we suggest Glasgow as a warmer, less expensive alternative.
"This is where most Scots head, after all. Its once-dark reputation gave way in the 90s to decades of regeneration, and the derelict shipyards have been replaced with gleaming science centres and museums.
"The west end has long been one of the artiest places in Europe and you can get all the way from the centre of the city through its bohemian quarters and out into the country purely by walking through gigantic, colourful Victorian parks.
"As you'd expect in the UK's third biggest city, shopping and nightlife are busy throughout the week and the architecture draws art students from all over the world. Well, that and the beer."
The Guide added that "focus on the capital can mean other great cities go unappreciated" and that these were "five cities we think are worthy of - and sadly lacking - the accolade".
Glasgow Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stuart Patrick said: "It's certainly very enjoyable to be in the illustrious company of such wonderful cities as New York, Barcelona, Venice and St Petersburg.
"What this listing recognises is just how successful Glasgow is becoming as a destination city, the result of something of a reinvention of the city over the last two decades. During this time there has been no shortage of hard work, innovation and investment, all of which we hope to see continue.
"In particular, Glasgow's retail offering has been transformed to a position of being considered the best in the UK outside London while our night-time economy thrives thanks to a vibrant mix of bars, restaurants, theatre, live music venues and clubs. This, in turn, boosts the city's many top-class hotels, as demonstrated by this week's PKF report which shows both occupancy and room yield on the rise.
"We've also seen continued investment in new assets including the new M74 and the Riverside Museum, many of the Commonwealth Games venues progressing and work beginning on the 12,000-seater Scottish Hydro Arena.
"All this is underpinned by the hard work being carried out by Glasgow City Marketing Bureau which helps bring a steady flow of new visitors to Glasgow - and sees us included in very flattering lists such as the Rough Guides'."
