Commonwealth Games
Location
Clyde-wide
Description
The Commonwealth Games will come to Glasgow in 2014.
The announcement was made in November 2007 to huge excitement around the city and beyond. In the Clyde Waterfront area several major projects will contribute to the success of the games.
The new National Arena is a 12,500 seater arena at SECC. Approval for this project to go ahead was given earlier in the year. The opening date for the £62m arena is projected to be 2009.
The Games are expected to act as a catalyst for investment and regeneration, and spark a massive influx of visitors. Glasgow has an ambitious new Tourism Strategy to increase tourism revenue by 60% by 2016, and the Games are expected go a long way towards helping achieve that. Around 100,000 additional visitors to the city in the three years following the Games. New hotel projects along the waterfront are an essential element in accommodating this growth.
In addition, vital transport projects are in place to improve city centre travel. Clyde Fastlink will provide a tram-like experience between the City centre, SECC and Glasgow Harbour, with buses that travel in dedicated lanes. The Crossrail project is set to improve links into the city.
It is anticipated that the net economic benefit to Glasgow will be £26 million, while the benefit to Scotland will be £81 million. In the three years following the Games, there could be a net increase of 4% in tourism, which equates to approximately £30 million in additional expenditure.
Current status
The news that Glasgow had won the right to host the Games was announced in November 2007
Timescale
The Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow from 23 July – 3 August 2014.
Website
Commonwealth Games
Contact details
Media office, Glasgow 2014, 0141 287 2014, Media2014@glasgow.gov.uk