18 Aug 2014
Commonwealth Games inspires record hotel occupancy rates in Glasgow, new figures show
BY Chris Dodd
Hotel occupancy in Glasgow soared during the Commonwealth Games, with July posting the highest figures on record, new figures from LJ Research show.
Presented by the tourism sector specialists, the figures revealed that occupancy rates during the nine days of the Games stood at 97.3 per cent, representing an 11.2 per cent increase in absolute terms when compared with the same period last July.
The impact of the Games seemed to have a lasting effect on the whole of July, with the month posting occupancy rates of 88.5 per cent. This figure is now the highest the city has held on record; presenting a 6.5 per cent a year-on-year rise.
The figures also highlight a strong decade of growth for the Glasgow hotels sector, with the latest findings jumping from the 77 per cent recorded in 2004.
As well as the Games, the city also hosted a number of key events that were considered as probable drivers for growth, including the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix athletics and the Merchant City Festival.
“The scale of growth recorded by Glasgow hotels in July was unprecedented as room revenue performance was an average of 65 per cent above last year, based on our LJ Forecaster figures,” said Sean Morgan, MD at LJ Research.
“There is an opportunity for Glasgow hotels to capitalise on the success of the Commonwealth Games and a heightened appeal to visit Scotland’s largest city.”
The occupancy rates also provided prime opportunity for revenue for hotel offerings, with guests evidently not put off by prices that spiked 158 per cent during the sporting event.
The Commonwealth Games have highlighted the potential impact large events bring to the leisure sectors of differing cities, however London experienced a different scenario when it hosted the 2012 Olympic Games in respect of hospitality.
During the event, the city’s hotels only experienced an increase in room rates of around 17 per cent because of the region's huge hotel capacity.
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