09 APR 2019: Many cities claim the world’s friendliest people, but in Glasgow’s case it may well be true, with residents eager to bend over backwards to help visitors make the most of their time in a destination that has long toiled in the tourism shadows of neighbouring Edinburgh and Loch Lomond.

Scotland’s largest city has plenty to recommend it, and those who haven’t visited in recent years may not recognize the place. Indeed, kick-started by having been named a European City of Culture in 1990, Glasgow has steadily transformed from a sooty relic of the industrial age into a vibrant city renowned for its diverse cultural scene, rich architectural heritage and world-class shopping.

Such is the city’s civic regeneration that Glasgow boasts the greatest concentration of creative industries in Britain outside London and is Britain’s second largest retail centre. It’s also sports-mad (punctuated by the heated rivalry between the Rangers and Celtic soccer teams) and earned status as a UNESCO City of Music.

With so much going for it, Travel Industry Today sat down recently with Moira Dyer of Glasgow Life, which delivers cultural, sporting and learning activities on behalf of Glasgow City Council, for a friendly chat about the city and its relationship with Canada.

Q: How important is the Canadian market to Glasgow?

A: Extremely important. Canada is one of Glasgow’s top five international markets and is integral to our ambitions as set out in the Glasgow Tourism and Visitor Plan to 2023, which aims to grow all leisure tourism visits to the city from two to three million annually, delivering an economic boost of £771 million and positioning Glasgow as a cultural powerhouse and the gateway to Scotland.

To help deliver on this ambition, we have local representation on the ground in Toronto represented by Pulse Communications and are actively working with the Canadian travel trade and media to raise awareness of Glasgow and its unique attributes as a visitor destination.

It’s a great gateway to the rest of Scotland; how do Canadians get there?

Glasgow is the perfect gateway from which to explore Scotland. Just a short drive from the city centre, you will find yourself worlds apart from the urban hustle and bustle. Whether it’s discovering beautiful Loch Lomond, exploring glorious Argyll and the Isles, visiting the scenic resorts of the Ayrshire Coast or walking in the majestic Highlands, visitors will find it all on Glasgow’s doorstep.

Air Transat flies seasonally from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver direct to Glasgow, while WestJet also flies seasonally from Halifax and Vancouver (with a stop in Halifax).

How long do you feel is required to do the city justice before heading off for Edinburgh and the Highlands?

If you’re visiting as part of a wider Scottish itinerary, three days in Glasgow will definitely give you a taste of what it has to offer and whet your appetite for future trips back to enjoy Scotland’s largest city!

What are some of the must-see sights for visitors?

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Art Nouveau buildings and designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Riverside Museum, Gallery of Modern Art, People’s Palace, and Pollok House. And from spring 2021, the world-renowned Burrell Collection will re-open its doors after a major refurbishment.

The city is known for its neighbourhoods and the friendliness of its people. What’s the best way to experience them?

Glasgow is an incredibly walkable city so a great way to discover its different neighbourhoods – each with a distinctive character – is on foot. You can also ride on Glasgow’s beloved subway (the third oldest underground railway system in the world dating back to 1896) and affectionately known as the ‘clockwork orange,’ which connects the city centre with the West End and part of the South Side, or use the hop-on, hop-off tour bus to explore the sights.

Are there ways for Canadians to explore their genealogy in Glasgow?

Canadians can research their ancestral ties at Glasgow’s magnificent Mitchell Library, one of Europe’s largest public reference libraries, which houses major archive resources to trace family history.

The city has worked hard to change the image of its food scene; what’s the latest?

Vegan dining! Glasgow was voted the most vegan-friendly city in the UK by Peta back in 2013 and continues to blaze a plant-based trail with the likes of Serenity Now, the Flying Duck and The Hug and Pint (a live music bar, which happens to have some of the most creative vegan dishes in town).  Click here for more:

If vegan cuisine is not to your taste when you’re in the city, then there’s no shortage of amazing restaurants to sample, such as: Six by Nico, Julie’s Kopitiam, Ox and Finch, Cail Bruich, Bilson Eleven and Mother India to name a few!

Any new hotels to tell of?

YOTEL is set to open a new 256 room hotel in Glasgow’s city centre opposite Glasgow’s Central Station in November.

How about some suggestions?

With over 15,000 bedrooms in the Greater Glasgow area and almost 10,000 in the city centre alone, every taste and budget is accommodated.

• Boutique hotel: One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin recently completed a transformational refurbishment, cementing its status as one of Glasgow’s most iconic and best-loved hotels in the West End. It has 49 guestrooms, each with distinct architectural character.

• Radisson Red: On the Banks of the River Clyde, this 174-studio roomed hotel features state-of-the-art technology, uber-cool rooftop RED Sky Bar and adorable resident puppy, Baxter.
• Motel One Glasgow combines the industrial character of train and rail technology with the special sense of adventure that accompanies a journey by train. With 374 rooms, this is the largest hotel in Scotland.
• Moxy Hotel (Marriott International brand): Boutique and affordable, the cutting edge 180-room Moxy Glasgow Merchant City hotel is a fantastic recent addition to the city’s bed stock.

  What about signature events or celebrations going forward?

  • Merchant City Festival (July 25-28)
  • TRNSMT Festival (July 12-14)
  • Summer Nights at Kelvingrove Bandstand (July 26-10 Aug. 10)
  • World Pipe Band Championships (Aug. 16-17)
  • Celtic Connections (January 2020)
  • Glasgow Film Festival (February 2020)
  • Glasgow Comedy Festival (March 2020)
  • Glasgow International (April 2020)

  Tell the truth (lol), is the Wellington statue still sporting an orange traffic cone for a chapeau?

  Usually yes! Glasgow humour at its quirkiest…