Long known as the 'home of golf' the latest figures prove how many of us love to play in Scotland. By Patrick Baines
St Andrews Links Old Course
Golf Tourism Worth £286 Million to Scotland
The economic value of golf tourism in Scotland has risen following a report commissioned by VisitScotland.
The study revealed the value had increased by £66 million (30%) since 2008, supporting over 4,700 jobs.
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Golfers travel from all over the globe to play the best courses and with Scotland’s proud history of top class venues it has become one of the key destinations for the multi-million pound golf tourism industry.
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Almost half (47%) of Scotland’s golfing visitors travel from overseas to play golf in Scotland.
Golfers from North America make up the biggest share of the overseas market, representing 30% of all overnight visitors.
The majority of overseas golfing visitors (57%) had been to Scotland before which suggests that for many, a golfing trip to Scotland is not seen as a once in a lifetime experience but instead somewhere golfers love visiting again and again.
The 2019 Solheim Cup will take place at Gleneagles
The study also showed overseas golfing visitors spend on average £338 per night on a trip, more than four times the daily spend (£78.90) of an average non-golfing overseas visitor.
The golfing industry in Scotland was handed a major boost when Gleneagles was confirmed as host course for the European Golf Team Championships next year, pitting men against women for the first time in a tour-sanctioned event.
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The Perthshire venue, host course of the 2014 Ryder Cup, will also be the setting for the 2019 Solheim Cup which should help the economy even further.
The results of the study will now be used to guide Scotland’s Golf Tourism Strategy: Driving Forward Together, which wants to boost the economic value of the Scottish industry to £300 million by 2020.
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