The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Open promises to be game-changing
Tourism: Return visits key to building golf tourism spend
As the dust settles on an enthralling Masters at Augusta National, the golf tourism sector in Scotland is looking forward to the golf season getting into full swing.
Equally, inspired by the performances of Messrs Reed, Spieth and McIlroy and encouraged by the green shoots of spring appearing after a seemingly never-ending winter, golfers from across Scotland and further afield will be itching to get back on to the fairways.
This year is hugely important for golf tourism in Scotland. The 147th Open Championship will be staged at Carnoustie from July 15-22. It is the first time it has been played there since 2007, when Ireland’s Padraig Harrington defeated Sergio Garcia of Spain in a play-off to lift the Claret Jug and the first of his three majors to date.
The 2018 Open’s economic benefit to Scotland in general, and Dundee and Angus in particular, should not be underestimated.
When staged at St Andrews in 2015 it was estimated more than 500 million households were tuned in to broadcasts of the event, delivering an estimated £140m of economic benefit to Scotland.
Spending by visitors to the tournament was estimated to account for £88m of this, with a further £52m from marketing exposure.
Encouragingly for Dundee and Angus the benefit to Fife from staging the 2015 event was estimated at £52m.
Of the spectators attending the event, 28% were from overseas, more than three-quarters of whom were attending the Open for the first time.
More than two-thirds of the total visitors and 80% of visitors from the UK said when surveyed that they expect to return to Scotland within one year
Of the spectators attending the 2015 Open, 28% were from overseas. STEPHEN O’HARE
thanks to their positive experiences.
These statistics really underline the opportunity that hosting the Open presents to Dundee and Angus.
The improvement in Dundee’s visual appearance (particularly around the Waterfront area), the opening in September of V&A Dundee and the proximity of Carnoustie to other firstclass golf courses such as Panmure, Monifieth and of course the Home of Golf, St Andrews Links, all enhance the area’s appeal to visiting golf fans.
With the right marketing strategy, these visitors can be encouraged to look further than just Carnoustie, to see first hand what else the region has to offer and, most importantly, to return to the area in future.
Much like Patrick Reed’s two final-day back-nine birdies at Augusta, 2018 is looking like being a game-changer for Dundee and Angus.
As a firm serving many clients in the golf and tourism sectors, we are hugely excited by the opportunity presented to our clients and are all set to help them take full advantage.