How the twinning of two great cities can make them even greater
Two heads are better than one, or so the saying goes. The theory seems to work for most folk, so why not Scotland’s two biggest cities?
Nowadays Edinburgh and Glasgow, traditional rivals only 45 miles apart, are really making a go of working together to help Scotland get ahead.
For everyone involved, the Glasgow-Edinburgh Collaboration Project marks the dawn of an exciting new era in Scotland’s social, cultural and economic development and is very much hailed as an important initiative not just for Scotland’s two biggest cities, but for the country as a whole.
“Edinburgh and Glasgow have got so much going for them,” said project director Laura Gordon.
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“They are both vibrant and dynamic cities but, working together, they can be even stronger.”
The project is focusing on key areas that will make the most impact in both cities.
This includes improving transport connections – like the possibility of a high speed rail link and 24 hour transport between the cities, supporting large scale transport projects such as the airport rail links and Edinburgh’s trams – and working with key industries such as tourism and financial services.
Frontline tourism staff have been keen to get involved. Tour operators, taxi drivers and staff from visitor attractions and B&Bs are among the first groups taking part in familiarisation tours of both cities.
“Glasgow and Edinburgh are the main gateways for tourists visiting Scotland, so it makes sense for our frontline tourism staff to know what’s on offer in both.
“While it’s very important that Edinburgh and Glasgow retain their own identities, we hope to instill a sense of pride in residents and enhance the knowledge and expertise of our frontline tourism staff – not just about their own city but about the other city as well,” said Laura.
Collaboration makes good business sense, too. Working together, it’s hoped Edinburgh and Glasgow can achieve economies of scale that will allow us to compete with much larger cities such as London, Paris and New York.
This means attracting more businesses and drawing in more talent.
We say – bring it on!
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