With the Open just around the corner, it has been revealed the international golf tournament could bring £40 million to Fife.
Recent statistics show there has been a 27% jump in the number of holiday cottages being booked in Scotland this July compared to last year.
That hike is being put down to the effect major sporting events like the Open can have on Britain’s tourism trade.
And it is thought this year’s 144th championship will bring £40m to Fife alone and more than £47m to Scotland.
With tourism worth £439m a year and supporting around 9,500 jobs, Fife Tourism Partnership chairman Alistair Bruce said not only was £40m a huge economic boost but “there was a great opportunity to leave a legacy for the global audience who see what Fife has to offer”.
“As the Open approaches, the eyes of the world are on Fife,” he said.
“There is no better time for Fife tourism to show off its greatest assets from golf to heritage to outdoor beauty,” he said.
Holiday let company holidaycottages.co.uk revealed recent figures showed July bookings in Scotland have risen by more than a quarter than in 2014, when the Open was not staged in the country.
The firm said the jump indicated the effect well-known sporting events can have on tourism in Scotland and the rest of the UK. “It’s great to see first-hand the impact that these large sporting events have on national tourism,” said managing director James Morris.
“Events such as the Rugby World Cup and the Open are proven to bring in visitors to areas they may not have thought about visiting before.
“Showing the jump we’ve had for Scottish bookings just shows the growth in tourism that the event is providing to not only the hosts but also local businesses who survive on the tourism industry in their areas.”
Meanwhile, firms, groups and organisations have attended a special briefing to highlight some of the events and activities going on in St Andrews away from the Old Course.
Organisers, local charity St Andrews Partnership, are keen that at least some of the thousands of spectators descending on the town discover there is more to it than golf.