Pathways to success: Contrasting roles in public sector business development for the tourism industries ‐ a comparison of Glasgow and Dublin

Originating from Glasgow Development Agency’s analysis of Dublin’s success in attracting tourism over the period 1986‐96, this paper considers the two cities ‐ Dublin and Glasgow ‐ and tries to determine the conditions, strategies in development and policies necessary to make the most of the economic impact of tourists. Policies and mechanisms in both cities are compared and discussed. Dublin’s key advantages appear to be history of literature and culture, a demographic profile which is largely young and its intangible fashionable image. In comparison Glasgow has not had the same learning experience or the structured assistance in order to create the base in the 1980s which would allow the kind of rapid development and success experienced by Dublin.