More than 60 delegates representing tourist attractions, businesses and the public sector in Glasgow and Edinburgh are joining forces to develop plans to promote attractions and boost Glasgow’s bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Turin and Milan have developed a similar partnership to maximize opportunities from the Winter Olympics and Vancouver and Seattle are planning something similar when the Vancouver 2010 Games begin. Glasgow council leader Steven Purcell said, “we are currently bidding to win the Commonwealth Games for Glasgow and Scotland in 2014 and our tourism infrastructure is not only a vital part of that process, but hugely important in providing jobs and growth in our shared economy”.
Speaking to members of the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee, Scotland’s Finance Minister Tom McCabe said Scotland’s success in hosting the G8 summit last summer could help with its bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. A report revealed that the bill to the Scottish Executive for hosting the summit was 60 million pounds, but the same report estimated that 64.7 million pounds was generated for businesses in Scotland and public sector employees in overtime payments. Also the report said massive media coverage of the event was valued at more than 66 million pounds. When asked whether the success of the summit could help bring the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow McCabe replied “I think if a country portrays itself in that manner, if its backed up by some of the stunning images that were relayed around the world, it can only contribute positively to the case”.
The Scottish Executive has been considering the future location of Sportscotland, the national sports agency, for the past two years as part of its jobs dispersal policy to spread the benefits of devolution, reports the Edinburgh Evening News. But Glasgow council leader Donald Anderson said transferring the headquarters of Sportscotland from Edinburgh to Glasgow “doesn’t make sense”. He said a transfer during work on Glasgow’s bid to hold the 2014 Commonwealth Games could be damaging. “Moving the organization at this time in particular could be disruptive”, he said. “Losing as many staff as predicted would be very damaging at what is a critical period”.
