Press release -
Highland golf events drive economic success
Around 70,000 golf fans are set to flock to some of the north of Scotland’s most iconic courses in the coming weeks, providing a significant impact to the local visitor economy.
VisitScotland is investing a total of £1.4 million into events at Aviemore, Lossiemouth and Inverness which kick off a summer of nine professional golf events across the country.
The SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge, the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Qualifier and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart all take place over the next three weekends, with each event receiving funding support from the EventScotland team within VisitScotland’s events directorate as part of the golf legacy programme from The 2014 Ryder Cup
The SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge, which has been supported by VisitScotland since 2006, takes place this weekend (23 – 26 June) and is designed to leave a legacy by providing the opportunity for the next wave of Scottish touring professionals to advance to the next stage in their careers.
The event, which is free to attend, takes place at Spey Valley Golf Club in Aviemore and will feature a host of family activities as well as a chance to see the best up-and-coming players in the world.
The Hydro Challenge is followed by the the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Qualifier in Lossiemouth, Moray the following weekend (2 – 3 July).
The free-to-attend event is part of the PGA of Scotland’s Tartan Tour Series with a £50,000 prize fund and five qualifying spots for the Scottish Open the following weekend up for grabs.
In 2015, local amateur Calum Hill was one of the five qualifiers to earn a place in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open where he played a practice round with eventual champion Rickie Fowler.
The final event sees return of the biggest golf event to take place annually in Scotland, the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, Inverness (7-10 July).
The tournament, which occupies an envied position on the golf calendar, the week before The Open, boasts one of the strongest fields of any European Tour event with names such as Phil Mickelson, Martin Kaymer, Henrik Stenson and Scotland's world number 24 Russell Knox, born in nearby Inverness, all set to tee off at Castle Stuart.
Castle Stuart will also be showcased to a massive North American television audience thanks to a broadcast deal with NBC and The Golf Channel.
The event is the only regular European Tour event to be shown live on US network television with this year being the fourth consecutive year that the tournament has been broadcast in the US.
As part of the agreement, VisitScotland’s ‘Spirit of Scotland’ cinematic adverts will also be screened throughout NBC’s coverage.
Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland Regional Partnerships Director said:
“These high profile sporting events have an immense impact on tourism in the Highlands and surrounding areas, attracting golf fans from across Scotland and beyond.
“Events are a vitally important part of the local visitor economy with the ripple effect of event tourism felt in shops, hotels, restaurants and a wide variety of other businesses across the region.
“Golf tourism is worth £220m to the country annually and hosting fantastic events like the ones here in the north of Scotland in the coming weeks only enhance further our country’s reputation as the Home of Golf.”
HIGHLAND AND MORAY GOLF EVENTS SUMMER 2016
Date: 23 – 26 June 2016
Event: SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge
Location: Spey Valley Golf Club, Aviemore
Date: 2 – 3 July 2016
Event: Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Pre-Qualifier
Location: The Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth
Date: 7 – 10 July 2016
Event: Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open
Location: Castle Stuart, Inverness
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- eventscotland
- sportstourism
- golf
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by seven overarching strategies:
- Marketing: we will market Scotland and its outstanding assets to visitors from all parts of the world, including the promotion of Scotland to people living in Scotland to visit different parts of the country
- Events: we will support the national events strategy and its delivery, and sustain, develop and promote Scotland’s international profile as one of the world’s foremost events destinations
- Internationalisation and International Engagement: we will utilise all our platforms to enable Scottish-based tourism businesses to better understand international opportunities and market to a global audience and we will work within One Scotland Partnerships to optimise the potential of Scotland’s Diaspora and our strategic partners at regional, European and global levels
- Customer Experience: we will provide information and inspiration to visitors both locally and globally via their preferred medium of choice
- Quality and Sustainability: we will provide support and advice to businesses, with the goal of improving the quality and sustainability of the tourism sector in Scotland. We will provide quality assurance to visitors through our Quality Schemes
- Inclusive Tourism: we will strive to make tourism in Scotland inclusive and available to all
- Working in Partnership: we will listen to and work with the industry, partners and communities to shape our offering and support
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP.
- The Scottish Government is the Managing Authority for the European Structural Funds 2014-20 Programme. For further information visit www.gov.scot or follow @scotgovESIF
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business events in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016 - 2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design begins on 1 January 2016 and ends on 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
- Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed creative industries sector.
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
- Join the conversation at #IAD2016
- Events can join the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design Partner Programme throughout the year by visiting http://www.eventscotland.org/YIAD_partner_programme
