Sports stars and their supporters will spend around £7million on accommodation when they visit Glasgow for the first European Championships.

The new event will result in a multi-million boost for city businesses including hotels, transport companies, bars, restaurants and shops.

It will bring together the top European competitions for athletics, aquatics, cycling, rowing, triathlon, gymnastics and golf and will run for 12 days in August 2018.

The European aquatic championships will take place at Tollcross International Swimming Centre with diving and synchronised swimming being held in Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool and open water swimming being staged at Loch Lomond.

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The artistic gymnastics championships will see around 600 athletes coming to the city for six days with the competition being held at the Hydro.

Four European cycling championships will be staged in Glasgow. Track, road, mountain bike and BMX will attract 650 of Europe’s top names to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Cathkin Braes mountain bike track, the streets of the city and a new BMX facility to be built in the city.

The European Championships for rowing and triathlon will both be staged at Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire. The European athletics championships will be held in Berlin and the golf championships will be staged at Gleneagles.

Around 8500 athletes, officials and media will make the trip to Scotland with a new report saying they will spend around £7million on accommodation packages in Glasgow.

It says: “Each European sport federation, with approximately 50 member federations, will send teams to Glasgow 2018, all of whom will require accommodation.

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“The total number of athletes, officials and media visiting Scotland is currently estimated to be 8500.

“The estimated £7m cost of the accommodation packages will be borne by the European federations.”

A spokesman for Glasgow 2018 European Championships said the £7m bill will also include transporting athletes to and from venues.

Athletes are expected to stay in a wide range of accommodation including hotels and university halls of residents..

The spokesman added: “Staging the European Championships in 2018 provides Scotland with an exceptional opportunity to capitalise on the success of the best ever Commonwealth Games, while creating significant business opportunities across the city and further afield through contracts such as this.

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“Major international events are vital to our economy with thousands of jobs supported across the sport, creative and tourism industries in the city

“Glasgow 2018 will allow us to build on our reputation as one of the world’s top five sporting cities and also our position as a leading tourism destination.”