The countdown is firmly on for Scotland’s summer of golf with an unprecedented run of major events across the country.
Golf tournaments provide the perfect stage to showcase Scotland’s first-class golf destinations and courses to the world.
And the Tay region is set to be at the forefront when we host The 150th Open (July 10-17) and The Senior Open (July 21 – 24).
The world’s oldest golf tournament, The Open is celebrating its 150th championship with a return to St Andrews.
A record-breaking audience of 290,000 is due to attend The Old Course, home to many of the game’s most memorable moments.
Less than a week later, Gleneagles will host the 35th anniversary of The Senior Open for the first time.
Building on its reputation as host of multiple Scottish Opens and 2019 Solheim Cup, The King’s Course will welcome 20,000 spectators to the west of the region.
The Open will draw in visitors from far and wide
These events undoubtedly draw an important local audience from Scotland. However, they are also a significant draw for visitors from overseas, the majority of whom will be visiting for the first time.
If they have visited Scotland before then it is likely to be the first time since the pandemic.
We know from our research that overseas visitors make the most of their time in Scotland. They tend to stay longer than UK visitors, exploring further and spending more per head.
Both The Open and The Senior Open are being broadcast worldwide. Those unable to attend in person will be enjoying stunning views of the areas around St Andrews and Auchterarder.
Audiences will be in the hundreds of millions.
What an opportunity, and we hope that this global exposure will inspire future trips to the region.
All businesses will benefit from golf tourism
Golf is one of Scotland’s major selling points.
No other country can match our history and heritage in the game. We want to capitalise on that opportunity for Scotland.
VisitScotland invests more than £3 million annually to support golf events and to market Scotland globally as the Home of Golf. This year this includes The Open and The Senior Open.
The Tay and Fife region is home to some of the finest golf courses in Scotland, if not the world.
From Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus to Downfield on the outskirts of Dundee to Blairgowrie Rosemount in rural Perthshire and Leven Links in Fife.
Golf tourism is worth around £90 million to region, indirectly supporting more than 3,000 jobs.
You don’t have to be a golf-related business to benefit from The Open and The Senior Open.
While watching players compete, these spectators are also staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, taking taxis, visiting attractions and gift shopping for friends back home.
They will travel home with memories of their time in the region. We hope that they will act as ambassadors, encouraging friends and family to visit in future years.
In 2015, the last time St Andrews hosted The Open, it was calculated that the economic impact of the event to Fife alone was £52 million.
Tay has it all
In March this year, we hosted a webinar on The Open for businesses across the region on how they can make the most of the event.
Working with our partners The R&A and Fife Tourism Partnership, we were able to highlight the ‘Getting your Business Ready’ toolkit and answer questions about the event.
During this summer of golf, we will be working to inspire visitors to use their free days to discover as much of the region as they can.
As well as speaking directly with spectators at the events themselves, our network of iCentres will be open. The teams’ local knowledge of things to do and see is second to none.
And there’s so much to see.
Whether it’s outdoor adventures on land and afloat.
There’s history and culture, such as Glamis Castle celebrating its 650th anniversary this year.
The recently opened exhibition of the world-famous Fife painter Jack Vettriano is on at Kirkcaldy Galleries.
Our special places and events include the Beano themed Summer (Bash) Street Festival in Dundee and our newest city and ancient capital Dunfermline.
Fans of food and drink will enjoy the recently launched Arbikie Distillery tours and new Eolas restaurant at Murrayshall near Perth.
From the Forth Bridges in the south to the Cairngorms in the north, Tay has it all.
After a difficult two years, The Open and The Senior Open will provide a welcome boost for tourism and to many local businesses in the region, supporting recovery and inspiring future visits.
I hope our reputation as Scotland’s sunniest region holds fast and wish the best of luck to all the players.
Here’s to a successful summer of golf.
Caroline Warburton is the Regional Leadership Director (East) for VisitScotland.
Conversation