There is no such thing as a good tourist, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to be better tourists. Especially if you believe in the laws of karma, because there are dreams to crack Glasgow wide open and sell it to the world. And while I don’t exactly see Scotland’s largest city becoming an over touristed hellscape like the rest of Europe every summer, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t put safeguards in place.
Recently on a trip to Venice, one of Europe’s most over-touristed destinations, it was hard to look past the physical reality of a city buckling under the tidal wave of human bodies. The colourful buildings lining picturesque canals appeared to be held together by iron stiches like Frankenstein’s creature (they still made for perfect Tik Tok backdrops).
There are basic rules of etiquette that any holidaymaker should adhere to: learn some basic phrases in the local language, educate yourself about the place you are visiting and its culture, don’t get blackout drunk and holler football songs at the top of your lungs through the streets at ungodly hours, and spend your money at proper local businesses.
I tried my hardest to be a better tourist. My dad and I stayed in a quiet suburb, and we stayed for several days (unlike those dreaded day trippers). We could self-consciously blurt out Buongiorno, per favore, grazie mille, ciao. My dad, infatuated with the canal-side waste disposal boats, eagerly deposited whatever rubbish was kicking about the accommodation each morning after coffee. Very responsible.
We spent much of our time walking around trying to see as much of the city as we could and learn about its history. But there was something about each corner we turned that felt incongruous with the floating Venetian Gothic palaces, whose crumbling facades danced so beautifully in and out of the shimmering canals. It was hard to develop a sense of place, weaving down many of the tight, cobbled streets, because every third shop seemed to be the same shop. The dreaded tourist tat shop. Each window lined with the same glass animals; each doorway cluttered with the same magnets. Those shops are deeply unsettling, and I can see why anti tourism protest groups say their cities are being mutated into theme parks.
It’s the same in every tourist destination, and everyone knows those tacky trinkets are probably all made in the same factory, whether they say Venice or Ibiza on them. I do indulge occasionally because I am a tacky magpie at heart, but as time goes on, I try to be better at sourcing trinkets from local makers instead of cheap shops.
In Edinburgh, the trashy trinket shops punting Harry Potter junk and tartan bric-a-brac have taken over. Its ‘Potterfication’ and status as one of Western Europe’s most over-touristed destinations (and most expensive for a city break) is a thorn in the side of residents and commuters alike. It was recently reported in the Edinburgh Minute that a string of these “shabby gift shops” located inside the former Debenhams building are operated by a young Indian national and it was alleged that the businesses were not charging VAT to customers.
I found myself quite proud of how few of these high street abominations Glasgow has. Then I remembered it is because Glasgow is not really a tourist destination at all. The reality is best captured in an Instagram Reel I saw when I returned home. Captioned “Glasgow said no”, a visitor to the city finds George Square closed until 2026, a series of “old churches in the main streets” closed indefinitely, the central streets closed for Spider-Man filming, parts of the Mitchell Library closed, The Lighthouse closed, and no illuminations on the Squinty Bridge because of the “rainy weather”. The Curb Your Enthusiasm theme song plays aptly in the background.
The image of Glasgow as a gigantic rubbish-strewn building site does not make for an enticing holiday destination. Bowing to pressure from the city’s elite business leaders, Glasgow City Council announced last week that it would be consolidating a string of council functions “to help unlock Glasgow’s potential”. Invest Glasgow, the Glasgow Convention Bureau, and Glasgow Life Destination Marketing will be streamlined into the Destination Marketing and Management Organisation (DMMO).
There is a lot of talk of how the DMMO will “tell our story better” and unite the city under “a single brand”. Stuart Patrick, chief executive of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the news of a “joined-up approach” to help the city sell itself better. “The creation of a single body to unite the city’s assets and resources under a consistent and coherent brand will strengthen Glasgow’s profile and ensure it is well positioned to seize the significant economic opportunities ahead,” he said. The move comes just in time for luxury flat developer Vita Group to peel the faded ‘People Make Glasgow’ graphic off the Met Tower.
No matter how the DMMO decides to sell the city, I do hope they choose ambition over a bland non serif font slapped on a pink background. The only time the city has had a decent marketing campaign was in the early 1980s with the Glasgow’s Miles Better campaign. I will be very disappointed if we return to this instead of coming up with something groundbreaking and original. Besides, the iconic 1980s rebrand has already been appropriated by Itison for its Halloween light show, GlasGLOW.
The Commonwealth Games returning to the city next summer is a great target date for any shiny new city marketing campaign. It’s welcome damage control after years of budget cuts to Glasgow Life. But it is important to avoid a growth-at-all-costs mentality that ignores the actual community it is marketing. After all, we do not want all of the future Glasgow holidaymakers pouring their holiday piggy banks into businesses that are not really linked to Glasgow at all.
I count my blessings that I don’t live in a tourist trap, but it is a bit of a double bind. If we boost tourism, the city will be more prosperous (especially when the visitor levy comes into force in January 2027). But if we do it with a growth-at-all-costs, screw-the-residents mentality, the city will be a nightmare to live in, filled with shops churning out disposable orange cones and Oompa Loompa keychains.
Marissa MacWhirter is a columnist and feature writer at The Herald, and the editor of The Glasgow Wrap. The newsletter is curated between 5-7am each morning, bringing the best of local news to your inbox each morning without ads, clickbait, or hyperbole. Oh, and it’s free. She can be found on X @marissaamayy1