Golf Tourism worth €300million to Irish Economy
14 Top Tour Operators experience some of Ireland’s Top Courses
While the eyes of the golfing world are on Augusta this week, Fáilte Ireland played host to fourteen representatives of Ireland’s top performing golf tour operators to the North-West of Ireland to showcase the world-class golf product on offer in this part of the country. Ireland welcomes over 200,000 golf tourists to Ireland each year and the members of the Ireland Golf Tour Operator Association (IGTOA) help drive a large portion of this.
Golf tourism is extremely valuable to the Irish economy and is estimated to be worth more than €300 million annually. Fáilte Ireland’s research shows a golf visitor typically spends three times more than the average leisure tourist with most of the spending going directly into local economies on non-golf expenditures such as accommodation, transport and food and beverage.
Golf tourism has rebounded very quickly post-covid in Ireland with strong business on the books for this year and the year ahead. With more than 400 courses spread throughout the Island, Ireland is home to over a third of the world’s true links-style courses, and alongside many world-class championship parkland courses. The Island is also a proud host of Ryder Cups, Solheim Cups, Irish Opens and Open Championships.
As part of the trip, the group had an opportunity to visit some of Ireland’s most spectacular courses including Enniscrone Golf Club, Strandhill Golf Club, County Sligo Golf Club, Donegal Golf Club, Portsalon Golf Club, while getting also playing on properties like Narin & Portnoo and Saint Patrick’s in Rosapenna, and former Irish Open venue, Ballyliffin.
Speaking from the North-West this week, Failte Ireland’s Product Sales & Distribution Manager, Martin Donnelly said:
“There is so much on offer in the Northwest for international golf visitors – from world class golf to exceptional accommodation options and memorable attractions and activities that can really round off a spectacular golf holiday in Ireland. Showcasing this to the IGTOA members this week will give them first-hand experience of what this beautiful part of the Wild Atlantic Way has to offer their international clients”
https://gowildmagazine.com/epic-museum-dublin-a-truly-epic-experience-for-the-go-wild-magazine-team/
