Aileen Crawford, who has led Glasgow Convention Bureau for more than 10 years, has been handed an expanded role as head of both tourism and conventions in the city.
Glasgow Life, the lead for tourism in the city, has announced Crawford's new role ‘supporting our city by building back our successful conference sector and developing sustainable tourism.’
Crawford’s new remit will include leading the delivery of Glasgow’s Tourism and Visitor Plan (GTVP) to 2023 and beyond, working in close partnership with the industry, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Glasgow City Council.
The city had a firmly established tourism and conference sector pre-Covid, attracting more than £774m to the local economy through visitor spend, supporting 32,000 jobs.
Speaking about her new role, Crawford said: "Looking ahead, as we overcome the effects of the coronavirus on the city’s economy, it will be even more important to recognise tourism’s role in delivering wider sustainable economic growth as well raising the reputation and profile of our city. Tourism creates jobs and encourages investment, not only in the tourism sector itself but across a wide range of sectors, and there is a major opportunity for us to work together as we move out of the pandemic, to grow Glasgow’s profile as a leisure destination further."
“The tourism and conference industry has been hugely impacted by Covid-19 but we believe it is also the sector that will lead the economic and social recovery of our city and boost Glasgow’s global reputation. Glasgow is one of the world’s great cities – its people, its heritage and its ambition combine to create a unique and compelling offering for visitors, meeting planners and delegates.”
Having worked closely with industry and partners as head of the Glasgow Convention Bureau for more than 10 years, Crawford said she looks forward to continuing to work with the wider sector and partners on the successful restart of both tourism and conferences.
Recruitment is currently underway for a senior tourism manager to take forward a destination management strategy for Glasgow Life.
Crawford said: “While the city already has a global reputation for hosting conferences and major sporting and cultural events, the GTVP has placed particular focus on promoting music, food and drink, culture and heritage as key drivers of leisure tourism to the city. In this year of COP26, sustainability and accessibility are also important guiding principles supporting our ambitions for the city.”
As head of tourism and conventions, Crawford will work to optimise the economic, social and reputational value of the sector and further enhance Glasgow’s reputation on the world stage.
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
