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By 2020, Scotland will be the world leading golfing destination

Golf tourism in Scotland

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Scotland is well placed to maximise the opportunities arising from changing visitor trends and an increasing desire for authenticity, health and well-being as well as our fantastic scenery

Golf

Scotland is one of the world's premier golf destinations and is recognised globally as the "Home of Golf". Scotland's appeal comes from the wide choice and number of high quality courses, often set in the most spectacular landscapes. The unique nature and challenge of playing these and the country's links courses are major factors in attracting so many golf visitors to Scotland.

The guide will provide you with the key facts about golf tourism and tell you who comes to Scotland to play golf and what these visiting golfers want. It also highlights opportunities for tourism businesses, golf clubs and courses looking to get the most out of the visiting golfer market and outlines the next steps for Scotland and your business.

This guide has been developed to help tourism businesses and the many golf clubs and courses in Scotland to better understand the needs and expectations of golf visitors. There has never been a better time to do this. 

Scotland is well placed to maximise the opportunities arising from changing visitor trends and an increasing desire for authenticity, health and well-being as well as our fantastic scenery - but we must understand better what golfers, and indeed other visitor types, want in order to be able to realise our undoubted tourism potential. 

With Scotland hosting the Ryder Cup in 2014, and increasing competition from other golf destinations, now is the time to work better together and make sure we are ready to grow the future of this important tourism market.

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Golf tourism generates around £220 million for the Scottish economy per year and supports over 4,400 jobs

Golf

The Ryder Cup is recognised as the 3rd biggest sporting event in the world in terms of TV/media coverage after The Olympics and The World Cup

The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles is a 'once in a lifetime' event for Scotland and there is no doubt it will provide a pivotal focus for golf tourism activity in the run up to 2014.

Golf

The core markets for golf tourism in Scotland are the UK and Ireland at 70 per cent, and three overseas markets at 30 per cent

Of the overseas markets 50 per cent are from US and the remaining 50 per cent are split between Scandinavia and Germany. Although the overseas golf market represents a much smaller number of visitors, it is the market segment that is likely to generate more revenue. This market spends more per head than UK golf visitors and more than the average tourist to Scotland, so they are a particularly lucrative group of visitors.

Golf

A golfer spends on average 50 per cent more than other visitors - ??600 per short trip (UK) and around ??2,000 per long haul trip

It is worth noting that according to Scottish Golf Tourism Analysis (SQW report 2009), Visiting Golfer Spend in Scotland, green fees are usually around 25 per cent of the total trip expenditure.

This holds true regardless of the type of accommodation or course being used. For example, even if golfers stay at Gleneagles Hotel and play the course there, the 25 per cent ratio still applies ??? as it does to someone playing a municipal course and staying in a 2 star B&B.;

The guide is aimed at golf clubs/courses and tourism businesses to help them to develop innovative products and services that will provide a more enjoyable and more collaborative experience for golf visitors to Scotland.

Want a printed version of the guide?

Please email info@tourism-intelligence.co.uk or call us on 0845 601 2454.

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