Date :
22/04/2015
As the countdown to the Open Golf Championship at St Andrews passes the 100 days mark, research indicates Scotland’s economy could be set to earn up to £50million as visitors flock to the home of golf.
The world’s top golfers will be competing for the famous Claret Jug trophy at the tournament, which runs from 13th-19th July at the fabled Old Course, as local businesses gear up for the influx of trade.
Research after the 2010 Open championship calculated a windfall of £47.4millon to the Scottish coffers, with the 2015 tournament expected to top that.
Jim McArthur, chair of the St Andrews Partnership, an umbrella group that unites various organisations in the area revealed that a special Open Championship innovation workshop designed to help local business maximise their opportunities during the event was well attended. He added: “As we get closer to the event we would encourage other local businesses and organisations to think about what they might do to help create a carnival atmosphere in the town centre in Open week.”
Jim added that there had been a strong response to the Open Championship section of St Andrews’ tourism website, with around 150 self-catering properties available to rent during the tournament added in one week alone. He continued: “We expect to add information about private home bed and breakfasts as we put out the message that there is still accommodation to be found, even though the town will be very busy during the tournament.”
The Tourism Intelligence Scotland’s free downloadable Golf Tourism in Scotland guide is a valuable online resource for the tourism industry. Hosting key facts about golf tourism, intelligence on the types of visitors that visit Scotland for golf events, where they like to visit and play golf and other services that such visitors look for - this a must read guide to help your business capitalise.