05 Nov 2026
International visits to Glasgow city centre rose by 204,732 between July and September compared with the same period last year, as the Commonwealth Games and a packed summer of events drew people from around the world, according to new figures from Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.
The figures come as an independent evaluation of the Games, published on Monday, found they generated £223 million in economic activity across Scotland, including £157.6m for the Glasgow City Region.
The latest Glasgow Pulse, the Chamber’s quarterly analysis of city centre performance, shows how that impact played out on the city’s streets. The final weekend of the Games brought just under a quarter of a million people into the city centre, the highest footfall of any weekend this year.
On Saturday 1 August, the final weekend of the Games coincided with the first of two Calvin Harris concerts at Hampden, giving businesses across the city centre a significant boost. Rail use also grew over the summer, with train passenger numbers in Glasgow reaching around 11 million between July and September, up from around 10 million in the same quarter last year.
Behind the big weekends, however, visits from UK residents fell. They were around 438,000 lower than in the same quarter last year, and the gap widened each month over the summer. The rise in international visits made up almost half of that decline. Domestic footfall is down 3.5% so far in 2026, and overall city centre footfall is down 2.4%.
Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: “This week’s evaluation confirms what businesses saw on the ground this summer. From World Cup crowds packing the city’s bars and venues to major concerts at Hampden and a Commonwealth Games that drew visitors from across the world, Glasgow showed what it can do. The rise in international visits shows exactly what major events are worth to the city, and Glasgow is ready to host more of them.
“But we know that for many businesses, a busy summer doesn’t tell the whole story. Retailers, hospitality operators and city centre employers are working incredibly hard in a tough environment, and when fewer local people are coming into town week to week, they feel it most. Those businesses deserve recognition for what they are doing to keep the city centre vibrant, and they need conditions that give them a fair chance to grow.
“That starts with making it easier for people to get here. Affordable, dependable and regular transport links would give people across the region the confidence to make more regular visits to the centre and would make a significant difference to the businesses that rely on them.”
