XX Commonwealth Games Visitor Study: Visitor Survey Results Report

Executive Summary

Who attended the Games?

• 690,000 unique visitors, including children under 16, attended the overall programme of Glasgow 2014 and Festival 2014 events between 23 July and 3 August.
• These visitors spent a total of 2.9 million visitor days in Scotland on visits taken as a consequence of the Games.
• It is estimated that total expenditure by visitors was approximately £228 million^[1].
• Most visitors went to both sporting and cultural events with 78% attending at least one Glasgow 2014 ticketed events and 75% attending at least one Festival 2014 event or activity.
• Around two thirds attended while on a day trip (63%) while the remaining 37% were on a longer trip involving an overnight stay away from home.
• While just over a fifth of those attending Glasgow 2014 and/or Festival 2014 lived in Glasgow (22%), similar proportions of visitors came from the remaining Local Authorities within the Clyde Valley area (23%)^[2], elsewhere in Scotland (23%) or other parts of the UK (28%). 4% of all visitors were from overseas.
• Comparing the profile of visitors with the general population of Scotland, the demographic groups most likely to attend Glasgow 2014 and Festival 2014 included those aged between 35 and 64 and those in full or part time employment.

Quality of experience

• In general, visitors provided very positive ratings for the events they attended and the overall visit experience. Most positively, 93% rated Scotland as a ‘very good’ place to visit while 87% provided this rating for Glasgow. 89% provided a ‘very good’ rating for the Glasgow 2014 events.
• Following their experiences at the Games, 57% of visitors from outside of Glasgow stated that they would definitely visit Glasgow for a short break or holiday in the next 5 years.
• More specifically, around a third of those visitors who had never been to Glasgow before stated that they would definitely visit again (32%).

Influence on events and information used to plan trips

• Over two thirds (68%) of visitors stated that the Glasgow 2014 events were their ‘sole reason’ for taking their trip. 7% stated that the events were of ‘no importance at all’ in their decision to visit, suggesting that they would have visited anyway.
• By comparison, Festival 2014 events and activities were less likely to be so important in decisions to take trips. 20% of visitors who attended these events stated that they were their ‘sole reason’ for taking the trip while 37% stated that they were of ‘no importance of all’.
• Most visitors used the Glasgow 2014 Ltd website when they were planning their trip (59%). This source, the VisitScotland website, TripAdvisor and guidebooks were all particularly important to visitors on an overnight trip.

Travelling to the Games

• Visitors were asked to specify the modes of transport used on their journey to the Games. This could include multiple modes, all of which were recorded (so percentages total over 100%).
• Around half of visitors from outside of Scotland travelled at least part of their journey to Scotland by car (52%) while around a quarter travelled by rail (27%) and around a quarter travelled by air (24%).
• On the day of the event, journeys from home or overnight accommodation to the venue most frequently involved travel by rail (47%), walking (41%) and/or car (21%).

Cultural engagement

• 75% of visitors (around 520,000 unique visitors) attended one or more of the cultural events and activities taking place as part of Festival 2014 including Merchant City Festival, Opening and Closing Celebrations and Live Zone activities held at Glasgow Green, George Square and the Kelvingrove Bandstand.
• The most visited Festival 2014 venues were the Merchant City (visited by 69% of Festival 2014 visitors), Glasgow Green (63%) and George Square (53%). Over two-thirds (68%) of Festival 2014 visitors went to more than one venue.
• The most seen and heard art forms during the Games were music (experienced by 35% of all Games visitors) and dance/physical theatre (17%).
• 14% of all Games visitors experienced styles of arts or culture which they were previously unfamiliar with. This proportion increased to 23% amongst residents of Glasgow.

Visitor expenditure

• Across all visitors (i.e. day visitors and overnight visitors) average spend per day on those days when they were attending a Games event, including expenditure on tickets, was £98.
• Expenditure varied significantly by visitor type. For overnight visitors on an extended stay, average spend per day was lower for those days when they were not attending a ticketed event.
• Average spend per visitor per day is estimated as follows:
  • Day trippers (includes tickets) - £57
  • Overnight visitors attending on days when they attended an event (includes tickets and accommodation) - £125
  • Overnight visitors on days when they did not attend an event (includes accommodation) - £76
• Taking account of the varying expenditure levels by visitor type and on event/non-event days, it is estimated that total expenditure by visitors was £228 million^[3].
• The highest spending groups included those staying overnight and those visiting from parts of the UK outside of Scotland and overseas while day visitors and locals spent the least.
• During the course of the days spent at Glasgow 2014 and Festival 2014, in general day visitors spent most money on tickets, food and drink, and merchandise while overnight visitors spent most on tickets, food and drink and accommodation.

Staying overnight

• 37% of visitors (around 250,000 unique visitors) stayed away from home during their trip, each spending an average of 6.8 days in Scotland and spending an average of £125 per day during the days they attended Glasgow 2014 and Festival 2014 events.
• While overnight visitors represented just 37% of all unique visitors, they accounted for over two-thirds of total visitor expenditure (£161 million)^[4].
• While the largest proportions of overnight visitors stayed one or more nights in Glasgow (50%), Edinburgh (17%), South Lanarkshire (5%) and Stirling (5%) it is notable that visits from outside of Scotland involved overnight stays in every Scottish local authority area.
• While 36% of overnight visitors stayed in a hotel, almost as many stayed in the homes of friends or family (33%). Other types of accommodation used most often included B&Bs and Guesthouses (8%) and self-catering accommodation (7%). Visitors from outside of Scotland, including those from overseas, were particularly likely to use a wide range of accommodation types, including hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs and the homes of friends and family.