GLASGOW has had its most successful year in attracting lucrative conferences to the city, according to new figures.

The city secured deals to bring more than 500 conferences over the next five years, worth an estimated £142m to the local economy.

Glasgow Convention Bureau released the report which shows the conferences will bring 140,000 business tourists to the city.

The conference and convention sector has become a key sector in driving Glasgow’s economy filling hotels and boosting the bars and restaurants, retail and leisure industry.

Glasgow has become a top destination for international conferences with a financially significant increase in bookings over the last five years.

The number of international associations choosing Glasgow annually as their conference destination has risen 63% from 43 to 70 between April 2012 and March this year, making 2016/17 the most successful year yet.

David McDonald, deputy leader of Glasgow City council, said: “Glasgow is now recognised as one of the world’s leading conventions cities.

“The volume of international associations choosing to bring their conference here has grown by more than 60% over the past five years, which is a reflection of the strength and global reach of our academic and business communities and their wider knowledge hub networks.”

Mr McDonald said that the medical and life sciences sector was increasingly choosing Glasgow for its conferences because he said the city is “at the epicentre of medical innovation and world-leading research”.

One of the money-spinning conferences secured during the last year was to host the European Association for the Study of Obesity, bringing 2,500 delegates from around the world worth an estimated £4m to the city.

It won the business ahead of rival cities including Dublin, Helsinki and Maastricht to be chosen as the destination for the EASO 2019 congress.

Euan Woodward Executive director of EASO, said: “Host cities are selected through a competitive bid process and it was thanks to a passionate presentation by Professor Mike Lean, the University of Glasgow’s chair of Human Nutrition and consultant physician at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, alongside Glasgow Convention Bureau’s outstanding bid and the wider support from the city which convinced voters to pick Glasgow.”

Much of the conference business will be held at the Scottish Events Campus the Exhibition Centre, Armadillo and Hydro.

Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales at the SEC, said Glasgow is a main player in the UK and international conference business.

She said: “Following the successful rebrand of the venue, we have started the year with a very strong run of new business wins and have been delighted to welcome a varied range of events to the campus, including KFC, TedX and the British Association of Urological Surgeons.”