Glasgow hotel occupancy nearing 90% for climate change conference

Glasgow's hotel occupancy on the books is nearing 90% during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), taking place in the city between 1-12 November.

According to data from Forward STAR, STR's forward-looking benchmarking solution, Glasgow's occupancy sits between 87% and 89% from 1-11 November, then dips to 80% on the final day of the conference.

This marks a substantial increase compared with levels for the remainder of the year, which is well below 40%. Thanks to its proximity to the host market, Edinburgh is also capturing demand for the event period, with several days above 50%.

Robin Rossmann, STR's managing director, said: "As vaccination rates have risen, and international travel restrictions have eased, confidence has grown around major in-person events. The dates around the UN conference have stood out in our forward-looking data for quite some time, and levels have improved as we've drawn closer to the event with an improving pandemic situation.

"Provided there are no late setbacks, these dates in early November will be a huge win for Scotland's hotel industry."

Photo: Shutterstock / CappaPhoto