The Pope’s visit to Glasgow could be worth nearly £9million to the city’s economy.

City officials believe the brief visit to say Mass at Bellahouston Park will be worth £4.25m in hard cash.

And it should generate as much again in marketing and advertising due to the massive worldwide television audience and the number of people who will view it on the internet.

Pope Benedict will make only a fleeting visit to the city to say the open-air Mass and officials have yet to identify the overall cost but they say it will be outweighed by the benefits to the local economy.

Scott Taylor, chief executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said the last Papal visit in 1982 generated “enormous audiences” on television.

It’s anticipated this year’s event will reach even more people because of the greater access to computers.

Mr Taylor said: “This is the biggest single event we’re going to see in the city for some time.

“While the visit will bring £4.25m into the city, the real benefit lies in perhaps a billion people seeing Glasgow on the television and seeing that we are a vibrant and welcoming city.”

Lord Provost Bob Winter said the visit was a great opportunity to place Glasgow in front of a worldwide audience.

He said: “I look forward to the city successfully hosting what will be a memorable occasion.”

A city council spokesman said there would be costs associated with the visit but it was too early to say what they would be.

He added: “We are confident the city’s profile will be raised to a global level around September 16 when the visit takes place and that there will be a significant economic benefit.”

Catholic Church spokesman Peter Kearney said: “The economic value of the Pope’s visit will dramatically outweigh its costs.”

The four-day visit from September 16 to 19 is the first state visit by a Pope to Britain and the costs are being divided between the state and the Church.