Sweden’s Vincent Norrman may have been the headline winner at the Irish Open at the weekend, but Failte Ireland is hoping to more than make the cut, itself, after a busy four days promoting Ireland to prospective golf tourists.
With an estimated 80,000 spectators visiting the K Club last week and a possible 300 million watching on television, Ireland was front and centre of the golfing world.
Failte Ireland hosted around 40 Irish golf-related businesses – including clubs and hotels – at the tournament, giving them a chance to engage with domestic and overseas golf fans and encourage them to golf holiday here.
Speaking on the importance of golf tourism to Ireland, Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly said:
“Golf is an area that Fáilte Ireland supports and invests in as a key tourism driver for both international and domestic audiences, with the island of Ireland considered one of the top destinations for golfers worldwide. This week’s event [was broadcast] in over 160 countries via traditional outlets like Sky Sports and NBC Golf Channel and online streaming, reaching over 300 million viewers worldwide in the process, showing Ireland as an ideal destination for golfers.
“Our research shows a golf visitor typically spends three times more than the average leisure tourist with most of the spend going directly into local economies on non-golf expenditure such as accommodation, transport and food and beverage. Golf drives tourism revenue and sustains employment into areas that might otherwise not benefit from tourism to Ireland. Ireland’s Ancient East is a great example of how golf tourism drives tourism business right across the island, with 115 of the Ireland’s 400 course located in the region.”
Brian O’Flynn, Head of Ireland’s Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland said:
“The scale and significance of hosting events such as of these events cannot be underestimated. While golf is the key product area, the destination is core to the overall enjoyment and experience of any visit. The Horizon Irish Open, together with the Irish Legends event in Seapoint and the Irish Challenge event in Headfort Golf Club that took place earlier in the year, will generate considerable TV coverage. This allows Fáilte Ireland to tell the story of golf in Ireland’s Ancient East, as well all the other wonderful aspects of the region that come together with the golf, to make it a world class destination.”
Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s Interim Chief Executive, said: “Golf is the world’s largest sports-related travel market and Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday in Ireland is about much more than a round of 18 holes – the combination of our world-class golf and our unique brand of hospitality plays a key role in attracting overseas golfers. We’re also taking every opportunity to highlight the fact that The Open will return to Royal Portrush in 2025 and the Ryder Cup will take place at Adare Manor in 2027.”
