Glasgow 'could be as famous as Nashville for music with better marketing'

The city boasts the largest music economy in the UK outside London, generating around £160 million a year and attracts some of the biggest names in rock and pop to venues including the SSE Hydro and Barrowland.

However, despite drawing in 1.4million music fans annually and earning the title of UNESCO City of Music in 2008, figures show only 2% of gig-goers travel from outside Scotland and book hotel accommodation.

A report, commissioned by Glasgow Life and Scottish Enterprise found there was to scope to boost international music tourism with improved marketing and the findings have been backed by industry leaders and home-grown talent including Belle and Sebastian.

Beyonce and Jay Z, Britney Spears and disco legend Nile Rodgers are among the acts due to perform in Glasgow this year and the city has experienced a surge in new pop and rock festivals including TRNSMT, Summer Sessions as well as a dedicated boutique festival at Kelvingrove Bandstand that has featured bands including indie legends the Pixies and Primal Scream.

A panel of experts, including representatives from the Scottish Music Industry Association, Scottish Enterprise, and SSE Hydro, will today be presented with 22 recommendations to help Glasgow market itself in a similar way to Liverpool, New Orleans and Nashville.

Ideas include a marketing drive to promote the stories behind famous venues, such as King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, where Oasis were discovered, the Barrowland Ballroom, which has been cited as a favourite venue by bands including the Rolling Stones and the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, home of Stan Laurel’s first stage performance.

Plans to create dedicated music districts across the city, promote live music at Glasgow Airport, introduce techno tours, and establish a Glasgow Music Subway Trail will also be put forward.

Students from tourism, events, marketing and fashion branding courses at Glasgow Caledonian University have been tasked with generating ideas, on the back of the report, Growing the Value of Music Tourism in Glasgow.

Dougal Perman, chair of the Scottish Music Industry Association and a member of the panel, said: “Glasgow is a world-class, world-renowned city of music. Now we just need to tell the world.

“Music tourism makes a significant contribution to the economy but most of the money spent on music events in the city comes from locals.

“Glasgow’s high reputation at home and abroad is undervalued and under-exploited.

“There is great potential but more work needs to be done to learn from the experience of others and to design practical affordable and cost-effective interventions which would command the support of the industry.”

Mick Cooke, of Glasgow band Belle and Sebastian said: “I’m surprised music tourism to Glasgow isn’t stronger considering how vibrant the music scene is here.

“It’s recognised globally, even being awarded UNESCO City of Music status.

“More needs done from a marketing point of view.”

A recent report by creative consultants Inner Ear found Glasgow is home to 43 live music venues including the O2 Academy, the Royal Concert Hall - which is the main venue for the Celtic Connections festival as well as the City Halls and 35 music bars.

Fiona Shepherd, of Glasgow City Music Tours, who contributed to the report, said: “I definitely think we could make more of the Unesco title.

“One of the issues for Glasgow is, Nashville is famous for country music, Liverpool has the Beatles and New Orleans has jazz but we don’t have one particular type of music to promote.

“People come to Glasgow because it is considered a cool city.

“We do see a mix of foreign and local people on our tours. We have a dedicated one for Belle and Sebastian.

“I’m surprised the figure (for gig attenders outwith Scotland) is as low as 2% but we are still selling out gigs.”

A spokesman for Glasgow Life, said: “Music and tourism go hand-in-hand in Glasgow, with data from UK Music showing that of the 1.4 million annual attendances to gigs in the city, nearly 450,000 are from music tourists; representing almost half of all music tourists to Scotland.

“As the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music, we’re recognised by the world’s biggest artists and promoters as a live music hotspot and a must play destination, while visitors regularly cite our diverse music scene – from the likes of Celtic Connections and the World Pipe Band Championships to TRANSMT – as a reason for coming to Glasgow.

“The promotion of our music assets, from our world-renowned and much loved venues – like the Barrowlands – to our thriving portfolio of annual events and festivals, and the people who make our industry tick, is also a key theme of the city’s Tourism and Visitor Plan, which aims to attract one million more overnight visitors by 2023; boosting our tourism economy by more than £770 million and creating 6,600 new jobs.

“However, while music is certainly a driver, it’s just one element of the city’s wider tourism appeal, with our rich cultural and sporting heritage, outstanding restaurants, bars and nightlife, and unrivalled visitor experience further strengthening Glasgow’s profile and reputation as one of Europe’s first choice visitor destinations.”

Around 50 GCU students have been working on the proposals, the best of which will be taken forward by consultants for Scottish Enterprise.

Claire Bereziat, lecturer in International Tourism Management at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “Glasgow has a phenomenal music product but it is undersold.

“Everybody wants to play Glasgow and the crowds are famous throughout the world but we need to promote the stories behind our venues, and the thriving scene, to capitalise on that reputation.”

Debbie McWilliams, Head of Live Entertainment and ticketing, Scottish Event Campus: said; “Glasgow is not only rich in terms of the quality of acts that we have produced but also rich in terms of the quality and quantity of atmospheric venues.

“There is no doubt that the success of the SSE Hydro has put Glasgow on a world stage. “