Euan McGrory: Edinburgh needs to plan for an Avengers tourist rush

Fasten your seatbelts, folks, it's going to be one heck of a ride.

Did you think last year’s Trainspotting 2 premiere was a big deal for Edinburgh? Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

How about the flood of visitors Tom Hanks brought to Rosslyn Chapel after filming the Da Vinci Code there? Well, imagine what the combined pulling power of Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo might do for Edinburgh.

It’s easy to think that it won’t make that much difference to such a popular and well-known destination. Easy, but wrong. Look at the impact the Harry Potter Express has had in parts of the Highlands.

Avengers is one of the biggest film franchises on the planet. It appeals to tens of millions of mainly young people who will suddenly see Edinburgh in a new light. Many are likely to think of visiting.

The film promises to be a fantastic advert for Edinburgh and a significant boost to the tourist industry which supports an estimated one in eight city jobs.

The prospect of a fresh tourist influx is bound to fuel concerns about the impact on the Capital. The city needs to step up its plans to manage the inevitable increase in visitors.