Scotland’s businesses are preparing to take advantage of a bumper £50 million boost to the economy as the countdown to The Open golf championship enters its home straight.
Today (Tuesday, April 7) marks 100 days until one of sport’s premier events gets underway in St Andrews and, while the world’s top golfers will be starting to think about getting their hands on the Claret Jug, local proprietors could be forgiven for rubbing theirs as they gear up for a massive influx of visitors.
Research carried out in the wake of the 2010 Open put the economic impact for Fife alone at £40.1 million and over £47.4 million for Scotland as a whole, but those figures are expected to be eclipsed this summer as the spotlight falls on the famous Old Course.
Indeed, confidence is high that the economic boost will break the £50 million mark five years on.
Jim McArthur, chair of the St Andrews Partnership which unites various different organisations in the area, told The Courier that work has been going on with local businesses for many months now to help them prepare for The Open and make the most of the opportunities it brings.
“There’s no doubt that excitement is really starting to build in and around St Andrews, with only three months to go before The Open,” he said.
“Even though St Andrews is well accustomed to staging this event, the sense of anticipation is still palpable.
“April 1 was a landmark date, with the first grandstands on the Old Course starting to be constructed, and that really made it hit home that the event is almost upon us.”
Planning for the 144th Open effectively began back in October 2011 when golf’s governing body the R&A confirmed that St Andrews would indeed be the venue from July 16-19, 2015.
However, it was widely anticipated that the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf was likely return to the Fife coast in 2015 as St Andrews has hosted the prestigious event regularly every five years since 1990.
This summer’s Open will be the 29th to be staged at St Andrews, and local businesses will be looking to cash in as visitors flock to Tayside and Fife from all over the globe.
Mr McArthur revealed that a special Open Championship innovation workshop, which aimed to help local businesses maximise the event’s potential, was held several weeks ago and was well-attended, while up to 50 local tourism businesses are due to exhibit at the St Andrews Tourism Showcase on May 29.
Work is also ongoing with the University of St Andrews to promote the range of activities going on in St Andrews off the golf course during the week of the tournament.
Mr McArthur continued: “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, especially during the daytime.
“The St Andrews Partnership’s role will be to help co-ordinate and promote everything which is going on.”
Meanwhile, Mr McArthur said there had been an “incredible response” already to the new Open Championship section of St Andrews’ tourism website, with around 150 self-catering properties are available to rent during the event in Tayside and Fife added to visitstandrews.com this week alone.
“In the weeks ahead, we also expect to add additional information about private home bed and breakfasts being offered to Open Championship visitors,” he concluded.
“The message we are putting out is that although the area is of course very busy, there is still accommodation to be had.”
As for the actual event itself, preparations to ensure The Open goes smoothly are said to be going well, with the construction of grandstands set to gather pace over the coming weeks.
Outgoing R&A chief executive Peter Dawson, who is due to step down in September, is looking forward to yet another memorable tournament at the home of golf.
“St Andrews has proved time and again that it is perfectly equipped to host The Open and I am certain we will yet again see a worthy winner lift the Claret Jug,” he commented.
“Players, spectators and officials alike will welcome a return to the game’s spiritual home and I fully expect that we will witness another thrilling championship.”