A world class vision for St Andrews

Catchline Communications Group, St Andrews World Class - News Release, 24 May 2004

An ambitious vision for the future of St Andrews has been published today (Monday 24 May) by a partnership group of local businesspeople and public agencies. The vision aims to move St Andrews from being just world famous to both world famous and world class, and to make the town a place which delivers much more for its residents, workforce and visitors.

Speaking at the launch of the "St Andrews World Class" vision, Mike Robinson, Fife Council's Head of Local Services (East) and joint chairman of the St Andrews World Class project executive said: "The vision recognises that although St Andrews has in recent years reinforced its international status as the "home of golf", this is only one aspect of the whole St Andrews experience. St Andrews draws golfing and non-golfing visitors from around the world, and the benefits this brings to St Andrews makes living and working in the town so enjoyable and rewarding.

"This vision is much more than one of tourism development. Indeed a priority is not to increase dramatically the number of visitors to the town, but to better utilise the spare capacity which exists at off-peak times, and to manage more effectively the experience for those people who do visit"

He emphasised that the vision sets out a framework within which everyone can co-operate in order that St Andrews can achieve world-class status. The alternative would be a continued growth in visitor numbers without effective management which would put an ever-increasing strain on the town's infrastructure, to the detriment of both residents and visitors.

Independent research has suggested that if no action is taken, the town could face a multi-million pound loss in tourism revenues, whereas an effectively-implemented action plan leading on from the "World Class" vision could increase revenue by £23 million and create more than 1,000 jobs across Fife.

Ann Murray-Smith of Rufflets Country House Hotel emphasised private sector support for the aims of St Andrews World Class: "Realising the World Class vision means St Andrews must be about more than golf. We must offer a product that is attractive to all types of visitor, developing recognition of St Andrews as an activity resort, a cultural destination and a business centre.

"In short, the aim of St Andrews World Class is to make a visit to the town the best experience possible, and to ensure that local residents can be even prouder of the excellent environment that they enjoy."

She indicated that this would require the development of a higher-quality, more integrated infrastructure, based on greater co-operation between the public and private sectors. The town's welcoming culture must also be built upon, to deliver top-quality service before, during and after a visit, ensuring that visitors are well-informed and cared for. Ms Murray-Smith added "Effective management will be critical in developing these characteristics so that the town retains its distinctiveness and unique atmosphere. The end result will be the development of an impression of St Andrews that is synonymous with world class."

The next stage for the group is to develop an action plan that identifies responsibilities for both public and private sectors, and the use to which resources will be put. The group is currently planning a second round of meetings with local representative groups to assist this process.

Feedback on the World Class vision is also being invited via the newly-established website - http://vision.standrewsworldclass.co.uk

Note to editors

The St Andrews World Class vision has been developed by a group of local businesses and organisations including accommodation providers, retailers, St Andrews Links Trust and the University of St Andrews. The vision has subsequently been endorsed by Fife Council, Scottish Enterprise Fife and Kingdom of Fife Tourist Board.

For further information, please contact: Mike McPartlin or Allan Buchan Catchline Communications Group 30 Millbank Cupar, Fife, KY15 5DP 01592 643200