The golf championship took place at Carnoustie last July 2011, and delivered a direct impact of £3.97m to the local Angus economy.
The Economic Impact Study found that more than 30% of spectators came from outside of Scotland with 3.5% coming from overseas. Visitors from Angus accounted for 27.8% with the remaining 41.7% visiting from elsewhere in Scotland. Almost three quarters of visitors said they would buy tickets for the 2013 championship.
The research was commissioned by EventScotland, event organisers the Ladies’ Golf Union and IMG, Angus Council and Scottish Enterprise. It was conducted by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.
The Carnoustie championship was the first in a ten-year deal brokered by EventScotland to have the event in Scotland.
Shona Robison Sport Minister said the findings are a "clear demonstration of the positive impact hosting such a major sporting event" can have on Scotland.
"With an unrivalled golfing heritage Scotland is perfectly placed to host similar events in the future, and we are particularly excited about the economic opportunities presented by major future events such as the 2014 Ryder Cup," she added.
Paul Bush OBE, chief operating officer for EventScotland, said: "The 2011 Ricoh Women’s British Open was a fantastic tournament, supported as part of our commitment to women’s golf in the lead up to the 2014 Ryder Cup. Scotland is the perfect stage for events, and we can see from the economic impact report for the 2011 tournament that a significant financial return was delivered for Angus and Scotland as a whole."
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