The R & A has annouced this year’s Open Championship at Royal St George’s Golf Club delivered a £77 million benefit to the County of Kent.
The figure includes an economic impact of £24.1 million for Kent and a destination marketing benefit of £52.6 million derived from the week-long event in July 2011.
Darren Clarke wins 2011 Open Championship that proved to be a financial windfall for Kent.
Within the boundaries of East Kent, comprising the districts of Canterbury, Thanet, Dover and Shepway an economic impact of £21.2 million was delivered.
Commenting on the research findings R&A Chief Executive, Peter Dawson said:
“We found a worthy winner in Darren Clarke at Royal St George’s and we are delighted that the Championship also delivered a significant economic impact to the local community.
“In one week, the economic benefit for Kent exceeded £24 million and the tourism legacy benefit of almost 300 hours of scenic images of the Kent countryside, viewed globally on television, will pay back in the county for years to come.”
Welcoming The Open Championship economic outcome Dover District Council Leader, Councillor Paul Watkins said: “Attracting The Open Championship to our area is clearly beneficial to both local people and businesses in Kent and particularly East Kent and we trust it will not be too long before golf’s oldest Major Championship makes a return visit”.
And Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson said: “The Open Championship is one of the jewels in the crown of the sporting calendar and attracts golf fans from all over the world.
“As a Kent MP, it was good to see The Open return to Royal St George’s this year. Hosting the Championship gave an economic boost to the county and region but also to the country as a whole. As well as the tourism benefits it brings, it showcases the passion and knowledge we have for the game and I look forward to the 2012 Championship in Lancashire at Royal Lytham and St Annes.”
A total of 180,000 spectator admissions were recorded at The Open Championship this year and 37,000 passengers travelled on the special High Speed train service from London St Pancras, operated by Southeastern.
Airline Flybe reported total bookings at Manston Kent International Airport up 70% in July with a 40% increase in bookings on the carrier’s Edinburgh service.
The R & A who provided this information also indicated:
The Economic Impact Study of The Open Championship at Royal St George’s included 1,088 on-course interviews conducted in the period 13-17 July 2011.
The independent researcher was the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) of Sheffield Hallam University.
The research methodology complied with the eventIMPACTS national event evaluation framework developed by SIRC for UK Sport.
The quoted destination marketing benefit is derived from the Repucom branded content analysis carried out at The Open Championship in St Andrews in 2010.
