Glasgow’s tourism sector delivered another strong year in 2024, with rising visitor numbers, higher spend and thousands of jobs supported across the city, according to the latest Scottish Tourism Economic Impact Model (STEAM) data.

A total of 4.72 million overnight visitors stayed in Glasgow during 2024 – an increase of more than 20% on the previous year. With an average stay of two nights, this delivered an economic impact of £1.84 billion.

When day visitor spend is included, the total direct visitor expenditure reached £2.39 billion, up 1.9% on 2023 and more than 50% higher than in 2022. Locally, tourism supported just over 37,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

Glasgow Life’s Head of Tourism and Conventions, Aileen Crawford, said:

“Emphasising the vital role tourism plays in enabling our city to achieve its economic goals, the STEAM results for 2024 are great news for Glasgow and for Scotland. They are also an endorsement of our Tourism Strategy 2030, which was developed collaboratively with partners including VisitScotland, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Airport, the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and our local business community.”

The city’s performance builds on the success of 2023, a year boosted by the UCI Cycling World Championships and the Banksy exhibition, and shows the momentum created has continued into 2024.

The conference sector reached record levels between April 2024 and March 2025, with more than 430 conferences bringing 140,000 delegates and £153 million to the economy. Events included the All-Energy Exhibition & Conference, attracting over 10,000 clean-energy professionals, and Glasgow 2024: A Worldcon for our Futures, which brought 7,000 attendees from more than 50 countries.

Glasgow’s reputation as a global sports hub was reinforced by hosting the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March 2024, which drew 22,000 spectators and 650 athletes from 130 nations. Looking ahead, the city is preparing for the 2026 Commonwealth Games and UEFA EURO 2028.

Cultural highlights also drew major audiences. The Discovering Degas exhibition at The Burrell Collection attracted around 42,000 visitors, while Beyond Van Gogh at the SEC welcomed more than 50,000. Annual fixtures such as Celtic Connections (115,000 attendees), Glasgow Comedy Festival (61,000) and Glasgow Film Festival (35,000) all added to the city’s cultural appeal.

Dom McKay, Chief Executive of the SEC and new Chair of the Glasgow Tourism Advisory Forum, said:

“The STEAM data not only demonstrates the positive outcomes our Tourism Strategy is delivering, but also the success of the ‘Team Glasgow’ collaborative approach. Partners across all sectors work closely together to ensure we capitalise on the benefits and continue to increase the positive economic impact of tourism.”

Accommodation supply also expanded in 2024, with three new hotels adding more than 600 rooms. Janice Fisher, Co-Chair of Glasgow Hoteliers Association and General Manager of Novotel-Ibis Glasgow City Centre, said:

“This latest visitation data reinforces how important the accommodation sector continues to be in driving sustainable growth for tourism in the city. Glasgow’s hoteliers are committed to supporting that by ensuring every guest enjoys superb quality, a warm welcome and a great experience.”

Lynne Cooper, VisitScotland’s Regional Director for Glasgow City Region, added:

“Glasgow’s unique visitor experience is wonderfully diverse – from world-class museums and art galleries, to cultural festivals, superb sporting events, food and drink, music and nightlife. Glasgow’s excellent transport links also make it a great gateway to the rest of Scotland, a major benefit for our key overseas markets.”