Wednesday, September 25, 2024 An exhibition by the renowned artist Banksy, coupled with the UCI Cycling World Championships, significantly boosted tourism in Glasgow throughout 2023. The Banksy Cut & Run exhibition, held at the Gallery of Modern Art, marked the artist’s first solo show in 14 years and attracted over 180,000 visitors. Meanwhile, the UCI Cycling World Championships drew more than 500,000 attendees, further contributing to the city’s tourism boom.
New data reveals that visitor spending in Glasgow soared to £2.35 billion in 2023—a 48.6% increase from 2022.
The number of overnight visitors also rose dramatically, with 3.91 million people staying in the city, up 47.3% from the previous year.
Day visitor numbers increased as well, from 17.69 million in 2022 to 21.8 million.
Glasgow Life’s Chief Executive, Susan Deighan, emphasized the significance of major events in driving tourism, stating that both the Banksy exhibition and the cycling championships played a key role in enhancing the city’s profile as a tourism hotspot. In addition to these events, Glasgow hosted more than 360 meetings and conferences, welcoming about 120,000 delegates. Tourism directly supported over 37,000 full-time jobs in the city, highlighting its critical role in the local economy.
VisitScotland’s Regional Director, Lynne Cooper, praised the influx of international tourists and stressed the importance of ongoing investment in events and attractions to maintain Glasgow’s growin.