PRESS RELEASES - 21st September 2018
SCOTTISH GOLF TOURISM WEEK SET TO BOOST TOURISM INDUSTRY WITH ST ANDREWS RETURN
The third Scottish Golf Tourism Week will tee off at Fairmont St Andrews in Fife at the end of next month, with the aim of delivering millions of pounds of additional tourism business to Scotland.
Having successfully staged the inaugural edition of this unique business-to-business forum in 2016, the five-star resort on the outskirts of St Andrews will once welcome delegates from around the world from October 29 to November 2. Last year’s event, which took place at Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire, was attended by tour operators representing 39 different countries and organisers are hopeful that a return to golf’s spiritual home town this year will see the 2018 Scottish Golf Tourism Week be the most successful edition to date.
Scottish Golf Tourism Week puts Scotland’s leading golf businesses directly in front of some of the world’s leading tour operators, creating more than 3,500 meetings in the process. An analysis of last year’s event forecasts an additional £14.4m of additional tourism business to Scotland over 3 years.
“We’re hugely excited to be returning to Fairmont St Andrews this year,” said event organiser Tom Lovering. “The Scottish Golf Tourism Week gives Scottish businesses the opportunity to present themselves to an international audience in the most coordinated and professional way possible.”
He continued; “By creating the Scottish Golf Tourism Week, we are delivering a platform where Scottish businesses can present themselves to an international audience in the most coordinated and professional way possible. The intention for this legacy event is to build relationships which will drive golf tourism business into Scotland for years to come.”
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, added: “I’m delighted to see Scottish Golf Tourism Week returning to an iconic location in golf’s spiritual home of St Andrews and look forward to Scotland welcoming the world’s leading international golf tour operators to experience our golf tourism product first hand.”
Roughhead continued; “Scottish Golf Tourism Week is a unique opportunity for a broad range of golf tourism businesses from across Scotland to engage with leading buyers from around the world, helping more businesses to internationalise and continue to grow Scotland’s vital visitor economy.”
Golf tourism is a vital part of Scotland’s visitor economy, contributing in excess of £286 million to the country on an annual basis with the likes of golf courses, accommodation providers, bars, restaurants, retail and tourist attractions all benefitting from the strength of Scotland’s golf tourism product.
Susan Beattie, head of tourism at Scottish Development International, remarked: “With 14 entries in the world’s top 100 courses, Scotland consistently punches above its weight as a global golfing destination.
“Scottish Golf Tourism Week brings the international specialist golf trade to Scotland where 80 companies will have the opportunity to present their international offer to around 70 overseas tour operators.”
For more information about The Scottish Golf Tourism Week, contact Gaynor Simpson at Vibrant Communications on 07790 104073 or email [email protected]