Glasgow named ‘Best of the World’ destination

Glasgow has been named one of the best destinations in the world to visit in 2016.

Announced today, the global travel magazine has selected Glasgow in its fifth annual ‘Best of the World’ list comprising of must-see destinations around the globe.

The list, which also features other destinations in countries including Brazil, Greenland and Japan, will be featured in the December 2015/January 2016 issue of National Geographic Traveler, as well as on a special ‘Best of the World 2016’ on its award-winning website.

VisitScotland has welcomed Glasgow’s inclusion on the list in the hopes that it will lead to an influx of new visitors to the city. With a reach of more than 8.5 million readers and over two million Twitter followers, the publication has the largest audience of any publication of its type.

The list was compiled following a competitive selection process involving nominations from National Geographic Traveler’s worldwide network of editors, writers and explorers. The selection represents, as stated by the magazine, what is “superlative, timely, and richly authentic in the world of travel today”.

Singled out as the key unique, determining factor for the city being selected was its vibrant art and music scene, distinguishing it from other Scottish cities.

Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau said: “Glasgow’s emergence as a global arts and music city is thanks to our world-class cultural assets, enviable major events programme and multi-million pound investment in new infrastructure. We’re a hot ticket right now.”

The city has become renowned for its variety of culture. Destinations like the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Riverside Museum (voted European Museum of the Year 2013), the Burrell Collection, the Hunterian Museum and Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art, have made Glasgow a focal point for the arts. Glasgow’s School of Art has long been regarded as an unrivalled incubator of remarkable artistic talent.

Just one indication of this is Glasgow School of Art’s successes in producing most of Scotland’s leading contemporary artists and, since 2005, around a third of Turner Prize nominees and four recent Turner Prize winners. The fact that, in a first for Scotland, this year’s Turner Prize is being hosted in Glasgow’s Tramway is a major acknowledgment of the strength and status of the exceptionally dynamic, burgeoning contemporary creative arts scene in the city.

Councillor McVeety added: “We’re home to the best civic arts collection in Europe and our outstanding museums and galleries, which are free, are attracting cutting-edge exhibitions, as demonstrated by our hosting of the Turner Prize at Tramway.

“At the same time, Glasgow has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the world’s great music cities.

“Our venues go the extra mile for bands and fans alike, which regularly sees us crowned the top place for concerts in the UK alongside London.

“Our SSE Hydro, for example, has become the second busiest arena in the world ranking ahead of the likes of Madison Square Gardens in New York, the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Allphones Arena in Sydney and O2 World in Berlin, which is a strong reflection of how Scottish fans and music tourists have really taken the venue to heart.”