19 January 2016

The First Minister has welcomed an independent report that showed the 144th Open Championship, hosted at St Andrews, brought £140 million in economic benefit to Scotland.

The study – commissioned by the R&A, shows spending by visitors to Scotland for the tournament generated £88 million – nearly double the £47.5 million in visitor impact achieved in 2010 when the event was last held at the Old Course.

A further £52 million in marketing benefit was realised thanks to the exposure gained by St Andrews and Scotland being broadcast to more than 500 million households worldwide, according to separate research carried out by Kantar Media Sport Intelligence.

The economic impact assessment was carried out by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre, also suggests there is a “St Andrew’s effect” that has seen visitor numbers to the Old Course exceed all previous years.

The First Minister, who met Johnnie Cole-Hamilton of the R&A (above) said:

We all know that golf and its origins are synonymous with Scotland but these excellent figures show that the connection between the game and its spiritual home is as strong and productive as ever.

“It is always a special homecoming for players and spectators alike when The Open returns to the Old Course – they have the opportunity to experience not only one of the finest courses in the world, but also take in such a stunning setting on the Fife coast.

“Hosting such events is a tremendous opportunity to showcase Scotland internationally as the perfect stage for events as well as generating spend for local businesses, restaurants and hotels, and the wider Scottish economy.”

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said:

The R&A brings The Open to Scotland more often than to any other part of the United Kingdom and we are delighted that a long association with VisitScotland produces measurable and sustained benefits for the Scottish economy.

“For the millions who watched on television and the many thousands who attended in St Andrews, the 144th Open was a wonderful celebration of golf. The Open is one of the world’s greatest sporting events and we look forward to staging another successful Championship in Scotland this year when The Open returns to Royal Troon.”

The Open Championship gave Scotland a £140 million economic boost last year #HeartNews pic.twitter.com/mcw02cTrHl

— Heart Scotland News (@HeartScotNews) January 18, 2016

Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said:

Staging the world’s biggest sporting events is a key strand of Scotland’s national events strategy and as these figures show, they don’t come any bigger than The Open. To have such a huge increase in the number of international visitors attending The Open in the Home of Golf is an outstanding achievement and shows the huge worldwide appeal of Scotland and St Andrews as a golf destination.

“Golf is a critical part of the visitor economy and the ripple effect of event tourism is felt in shops, hotels, and a wide range of businesses across Scotland. It is more than a holiday experience or attendance at an event – it creates jobs, sustains communities and provides an international shop window for Scotland.

“We are very proud of our relationship with The R&A and congratulate them on these outstanding figures. We look forward to continuing to entice many more international visitors to The Open and Scotland this year and in the future.”

How much does The Open bring into Scotland? Here's how much & it's more than small change.https://t.co/dqVD8ymBZi pic.twitter.com/R0dPS23MDv

— GolfPunkHQ (@GolfPunk_Mag) January 19, 2016