World's first 'music tourism' summit to be staged in Glasgow

Glasgow is to play host to the world's first ever international music tourism conference -months after it emerged that gigs, festivals and events are now worth nearly £300 million to Scotland's economy.

The Music Tourist Convention will look at the impact of Glasgow venues like the SSE Hydro.

Showcases for acts, businesses and visitor attractions will be at the heart of the two-day summit, which will also highlight what other European cities are doing to capitalise on their music scenes.

Delegates will be taken around key historic sites and iconic venues by Glasgow Music City Tours, a new tour guide company which The Scotsman pop and rock critic Fiona Shepherd helped set up last year.

The event programme will look at how hotels can generate extra business by working with the music industry, the development of “music holidays” and “music cruises” around the world, and how to sell packages to music tourists.

Olaf Furniss, creator of the new Music Tourist Convention, said: “The opportunities for cooperation between the music and tourism sectors are almost limitless, but what has been missing is an event to bring them together.

“We’re delighted to be hosting it in the UK’s first UNESCO City Of Music. Our goal is for it to provide an ongoing forum for exchanging ideas.”

Research published in June revealed that £295 million was generated by around 928,000 music tourists in Scotland last year, supporting some 3230 jobs.

In Glasgow alone, nearly 450,000 people attended 1.4 million different events, generating around £105 million for the industry.

Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety said: “Music and tourism go hand-in-hand in Glasgow. they are key drivers of our economic growth so there’s no better city to host this.

“Glasgow lives and breathes music and visitors from across the globe regularly cite it as a reason for coming here.”

Scottish tourism and culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The creative industries are a key growth sector for Scotland and this event will bring together tourism and music entrepreneurs, increasing the opportunities for collaborative partnerships.”