Major sporting events boost revpar during Q3 2014
Major international sporting events drove strong revenue per available room (revpar) figures across the UK during the third quarter of 2014, according to new research published today.
Revpar in Glasgow increased by 48% as the city hosted the Commonwealth Games, which was visited by over 600,000 people.
In Liverpool, revpar, which grew by 33% compared to the same period last year, was "underpinned by the Open Championship" held at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July. The city's performance was further bolstered by 75,000 delegates attending the International Business Festival 2014 during the same month.
Leeds recorded revpar growth of 26% due to Yorkshire hosting the Tour de France's Grand Depart. Millions of tourists lined the 190km route of the first stage of this year's tour.
Another solid revpar performance came from Cardiff, where revpar increased by 27% as a result of the hosting of the 2014 NATO Summit at Celtic Manor in nearby Newport.
At the opposite end of the scale, Aberdeen's 3% revpar increase was the lowest of the cities reviewed.
"London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle are likely to record similar increases in Q£ 2015 as they host the Rugby World Cup matches," concluded the report. "However, it remains to be seen if these cities can capitalise on these events to drive longer term growth."