Scottish Enterprise recently asked for bids for their Golf Tourism Development Programme and confirmation has been given that the contract which comes in at just under £40,000 has been awarded to Edinburgh based consultants BTS Ltd. According to the brief,
"The overall objective of this project is strengthen and grow the golf tourism offering in Scotland to visiting golfers from overseas and domestic markets. Scotland is already marketed as ‘the home of golf’ but there is an outstanding opportunity to drive golf tourism forward in the next 5-10 years.
This project responds to several notable developments, including:
1) Gleneagles will host the Ryder Cup in 2014;
2) Royal Aberdeen will host the Walker Cup in 2011;
3) Significant investment in golf tourism resorts. In the Aberdeen City & Shire area alone, plans have been approved for 3 resorts, including the 1 billion Trump development at Menie Estate;
4) Budget airlines have routes which mean Scotland is a practical weekend golfing destination for many European players and a weakening pound has made Scotland a more affordable place to visit for American golfers.
Golfers have a higher than average spend per trip than other holiday makers, with overseas visitors generally spending three times as much as those from the UK. Golf tourism in Scotland is estimated to be worth £119,000,000 and taking into account the additional knock on benefits to suppliers, it generates around £177,000,000 to the Scottish economy.
Scotland has 5 of the 9 venues on the Open rota; however there are many courses just below this top level which do not make the most of their potential. If these courses can fully develop their proposition, then, combined with the current top level courses and the planned resort developments, Scotland would have a truly outstanding golf tourism offer.
This 3 year project proposes to target selected ‘second tier’ clubs, i.e. those at a certain level of prestige but just below major championship standard. The overall aim of the programme is to help these clubs understand how effectively they operate, identify areas for potential development, agree an action plan to address these areas and assist with potential solutions. This will result in a measurable improvement in the quality, efficiency, effectiveness and professionalism in management. In turn, this will lead to the clubs ‘raising their game’, attracting more visitors to play at their courses and achieving a measurable improvement in the quality of golf tourism experience and the level of spend."
As soon as we have any update on the proposed methodology of the project we'll publish it here.
4 comments:
A three year contract to help the 2nd level of courses attract more visitors. Sorry but to give them 3 years to do this is a waste of time. These courses, in fact all courses need immediate help. Its about attracting visitors next year. At £40,000 over three years ?? Thats not even a decent salery for a very junior employee of a company like BTS. Much of this money will be spent conducting telephone interviews with people within the golf industry. Perhaps the industry should conduct this type of work rather than employ 3rd parties.
As Ryder Cup is mentioned here then perhaps someone will be ordered to look at the gouging that has gone on for years when Ryder Cup Travel Services sell their over priced packages to the Ryder Cup. This is what will give Scotland a bad name and may I suggest is part of the reason why Ireland is suffering so badly with lack of visitors since their own ryder cup.
Trying to help the 2nd teir get more visitors. Well how about you send me £10k and I will help with the education process?
October green fees 2009
Nairn £50
Cruden Bay £75
Royal Aberdeen £120
Nice work if you can get it.
Not sure what the going rate is at present but lets say Edinburgh based consultacy charges £450 per day. That gives less than 30 days per year of the three year contract to work on something as big a topic as this. Ironic thing is how much free time has been given by the industry over many many years attending meetings, seminars, forums with VS, GTS, Scot Ent, Event Scotland etc to discuss this very topic. Another gravy train for those who have the power to spend money on subjects they have not a clue about.
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