Glasgow is Now Officially One of the Best Cities in the World for Tourism and Business

After a survey conducted by Time Out magazine on 34,000 people who have visited all the major cities recently, it has now been officially established that Glasgow is considered by a majority of visitors to be one of the best cities in not just Scotland or the UK, but the whole world. What is even more astonishing is that Glasgow could have actually ended up higher on the list, had it not been for that one factor which it will never be able to control; the weather.

Taking a look at the survey results and the situation as it stands, provides a better look into the general and commercial highlights of Scotland’s most populated, yet loveliest major city.

The Survey and the Rank

The survey wasn’t just randomly done, and the conclusions were not based on casual questions either. Time Out selected 34,000 travellers who have been to the city of Glasgow, alongside other major cities located around the world to reach the conclusions they did, before making them public.

The questions were primarily based on the following criteria to make the survey results as accurate and as well-rounded as possible:

• Culture
• Community
• Nightlife
• Overall satisfaction
• Progression

After going through the answers and deducing the outcomes from those answers, Time Out announced that Glasgow is the world’s 8th best city in 2019, as chosen by popular voting from visitors.

Leaving Behind Paris and Berlin

In spite of being less celebrated than the capital of France and Germany, it seems that Glasgow is a more friendly and enjoyable place for visitors.

While Berlin and Paris may still enjoy a higher footfall, it is now official that they fall behind the city of Glasgow in terms of providing the best experience to its visitors.

Berlin and Paris were not the only cities which Glasgow left behind on the list of the world’s best cities, because Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Barcelona, Moscow, Rio, and even Sydney fell behind the internationally popular city in Scotland.

What Did People Like Most about Glasgow?

Apparently, in spite of being the underdog in the top ten list, as well as the most populated, no one really had many complaints against the city in any department. On the contrary, Glasgow was found to be loved for its variety of music, superb nightlife, great food, a general cheerful nature, and friendliness. The music has always been popular in Glasgow though, which is why it is known as the Music Capital of Scotland.

Another major factor which played a huge role in boosting the city to its unexpectedly high 8th position is unanimously agreed to be the affordability of travelling, eating and living Glasgow.

Compared to everything the city has to offer to its residents and tourists, it is still surprisingly cheaper, as compared to the rest of the premier Scottish cities. It is understandably hard to dislike a place that has everything one can hope for and doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for them either.

The other major factor which tourists praised, and those with a business interest in the city will appreciate, is that Glasgow scored the highest on the progress scale. That is not the highest in Scotland or the UK, but the highest in the world, according to the survey results.

Did Glasgow’s Rainy Weather Prevent It from Ending Up Higher on the List?

Perhaps the only thing which held back Glasgow from reaching a few tiers higher than the already incredible 8th position is the city’s almost perpetual rainy season.

Apparently, travellers felt that if there’s one thing that has not changed for the better in Glasgow, it would have to be the weather, because Glasgow has to be the rainiest city in the United Kingdom!

Unfortunately, that’s an official fact as well, which was cemented in 2018, as Glasgow topped the chart with 1124.3 mm of rain in 170.3 days last year. Bradford, Lancaster and Newry fell behind as Glasgow claimed the crown which it did not really care for.

Glasgow is still loved by locals and travellers alike in spite of the rain, while some actually prefer it that way. Nevertheless, it is one of the very few shortcomings of Glasgow in terms of tourism.

The Potential for Commercial Investments in Glasgow and Nearby Areas

As already mentioned, Glasgow has shown remarkable progress, and more so than any other major city in the world. About 55% of the surveyed travellers were of the opinion that Glasgow has indeed made extraordinary developments since the last time they visited.

This is also why the city is now one of the best cities in the UK to make commercial investments. It has a booming economy and tremendous opportunity for growth; a combination that is rarely found in populous cities.

There is more opportunity for growth in Glasgow than just in the tourism sector mind you, although it is one of the major earners for sure.

The Advantage of a Local Architect for Any New Establishments in Glasgow

For those that are considering a relocation of their offices or even starting a new branch in Glasgow to make the best of the thriving and growing economic opportunities, choosing a local architect is advised.

A local architect can bring creative and cost-effective solutions to the very design of a commercial structure of any kind. Additionally, they can use their local knowledge to help a business find the best locations that would be appropriate for their specific kind of trade.

If you are looking for an architect in Glasgow or Edinburgh, you may want to consider a company like Amos Beech. They will essentially take care of every single local aspect of the move or expansion, handle the local zoning laws and work with the company’s representatives to complete the project in the most profitable way possible for the party.

The architectural and financial advantages of going with an architect are quite significant, but you would need to carefully weigh up your options before going ahead.

Major Opportunities in Glasgow: What the Chamber of Commerce States

According to the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, there are multiple facets of growth and improvement in the city that are fuelling its fast growth, making it arguably the best city in the UK to invest in right now.

It has been estimated through survey results that Glasgow has the second highest number of skilled labourers in United Kingdom. The first place is expectedly taken up by London.

The academic establishments are both a source of revenue and pride for the city, with nearly 200,000 students coming to Glasgow for higher or professional education. Given the number of training facilities and universities the city has, it is not hard to understand why it has such a huge skilled labour base for investors in the city to hire and work with.

As proof of Glasgow’s excellence in manufacturing technology and engineering, one only needs to take a look at the kind of MNCs that have built technological facilities in the city. There’s Clyde Blowers, Weir Group, Edrington and BAe Marine Systems to name a few of the big ones, but there are more corporate bigshots working in the sector here.

The companies are attracted to the city largely due to the high standard of education in Glasgow, which primarily focuses on producing the best engineers in the country, across all fields. Then of course, there is the lure of a welcoming local government and ample space to work with.

Glasgow is the Digital Capital of Scotland

Glasgow is the top destination in Scotland for those aspiring to build a career in eCommerce, or start an online commercial venture of their own here.

According to the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, the city has more than 26,000 jobs in the eCommerce sector. Given that the digital GVA in Glasgow easily exceeds £480 million, the city has no competition in Scotland in terms of its digital growth rate.

To put the GVA in perspective, one needs to consider that Dundee and Edinburgh take up the following ranks after Glasgow, but their combined digital GVA is less than £480 million.

In conclusion, it can be said with confidence that although Scotland has many flourishing cities, its biggest and most populated city is, at the moment, leading in most departments within the country.

Not only is Glasgow a wonderful and friendly place for tourists to visit, it is also one of the fastest growing modern cities in the world. Considering that all of this is made possible without raising the price of everything by exorbitant degrees is nothing short of astounding.

As Glasgow still has a number of huge untapped markets that are attracting both start-ups and established corporations to the city, it remains to be seen how much more Glasgow will manage to grow in the next five years. Going by the stats and probabilities so far, it looks like the future of Glasgow is an extremely bright one, although its sky may never really reflect the same mood!