City swings hotels deal for the Ryder Cup

Published on Thursday 2 October 2008 09:55

UP to 2000 officials, exhibitors and media attending the Ryder Cup when it comes to Scotland are to stay in Edinburgh after an accommodation deal was struck.

The deal, by the Edinburgh Convention Bureau (ECB), is estimated to be worth 1.8 million to the city's economy.

Edinburgh will be one of the main accommodation hubs for the 2014 event, with thousands of spectators and staff also expected to make separate arrangements to stay in the city before travelling to Gleneagles Hotel for the event, dubbed as golf's equivalent of the football World Cup.

The ECB has agreed a deal with EventScotland to provide the hotel rooms required for the 2000-strong "convoy". It has now started the process of speaking to hotels in the city to block book the required number of bedrooms for 2014.

Initial studies commissioned by the then-Scottish Executive during the bidding for the tournament suggested that it would generate an additional spend worth 67m to the Scottish economy.

Sue Stuart, chief executive of the ECB, said: "The forerunner to the Ryder Cup was first played on The King's Course at Gleneagles in 1921 so it's very fitting it should return 93 years later in 2014.

"Not only will it bring significant financial rewards but it will also raise Scotland's profile as a world-class host venue for international sporting events. Edinburgh will also benefit from the goodwill of our visitors that will translate into return trips."