CASE STUDY: ECONOMIC IMPACT
The Open Championship
What is the scale of the benefit when the Open Championship comes to town? We asked the Liverpool City Region to delineate the substantial impact
“The figures speak for themselves – The 151st Open was a massive success for our visitor economy”
– Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region
THE OPEN has been described as “one of the sporting world’s crown jewels” and that glowing description pertains not only to its glittering history but also its substantial economic value.
Royal Liverpool hosted the 151st edition of the historic championship in 2023 and the event generated £187 million in economic benefit for the Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region.
That is a 23% increase compared to when Royal Birkdale was on hosting duties in 2017.
The total economic impact to the Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region – new money entering the economy – was measured at £43.19m.
The eye-catching figures come from an independent study commissioned by The R&A and conducted by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC).
Open impact
£187m
Overall economic benefit
£144m
Destination marketing benefit
£43.19m
New money entering the economy
Professor Simon Shibli, Director of the SIRC, said: “We have worked with The R&A to measure the economic impact of The Open since 2010. We are now in the fortunate position of being able to quantify the growth of the event at each championship course since its previous hosting.
“Advances in working collaboratively with local partners, innovations in ticketing, and increased public demand for watching live golf have all contributed to The Open’s significant growth in economic value over time.”
According to research led by YouGov, Liverpool also gained a destination marketing benefit of £144m as a result of the tournament being broadcast worldwide through linear television and digital platforms.
“The 151st Open generated a substantial economic benefit for the Wirral and wider Liverpool City Region”
Last year’s championship welcomed 261,180 fans, eclipsing the previous attendance of 202,917 at the 2014 edition at Royal Liverpool and making it the second highest attended Open in history.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said: “The 151st Open generated a substantial economic benefit for the Wirral and wider Liverpool City Region with tens of thousands of fans travelling from far and wide to witness Brian Harman become the Champion Golfer of the Year and tens of millions more watching on television or digital platforms worldwide.
“The Open continues to flourish and has an outstanding track record of injecting significant additional expenditure into communities and local businesses as well as showcasing the region in which it is held to a global audience.”
Approximately one in four attendees travelled from outside of England, with 76% of all spectators indicating an intention to return for at least one of the next three editions at Royal Troon (2024), Royal Portrush (2025) and Royal Birkdale (2026).
Furthermore, 53% of those visiting from outside the Liverpool City Region are expected to return for to visit within a year.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “The Open is one of the sporting world’s crown jewels and to have the opportunity to play host to it not just once – but twice in the space of three years – is an incredible achievement for our area.
“The figures speak for themselves – The 151st Open was a massive success for our visitor economy. The fact we attracted record crowds to Royal Liverpool is testament, not only to the quality of our region’s courses, but to the infrastructure we offer and the warm welcome we gave to visitors from around the world.”
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