Pictured above are: Brendan Keogh, SWING Golf Ireland; Cormac Ryan, Killeen Castle; Natalia O’Hanlon, Hastings Hotels; Paul McCanny, Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links; Sinead McNicholl, Dunluce Lodge; George Diamondis, Tourism NI; Joe Murphy, Fáilte Ireland; Breffne McKenna, Castlemartyr Resort; Jeffrey Yau, Tourism Ireland; Leigh Heggarty, Galgorm; Brendan Mackey, The K Club; Dave Wensley, North & West Coast Links Golf Ireland; Marie Collins, Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Doonbeg; Nessa McCall, Activities Ireland; and John Eggleston, Ballybunion Golf Club, at the IAGTO North America Golf Tourism Convention in Michigan.
Tourism Ireland’s drive to grow golf visitor numbers from North America continued at the IAGTO North America Golf Tourism Convention in Michigan this week.
Twelve (12) golf and tourism operators from Ireland joined Tourism Ireland at the convention – which was attended by more than 300 golf and travel professionals, primarily from the US and Canada. The companies engaged in two days of one-to-one, pre-scheduled appointments and networking sessions – which provided a valuable opportunity to negotiate and exchange vital contracts for 2024 and beyond.
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: “The IAGTO North America Golf Tourism Convention was a fantastic opportunity to showcase Ireland and our world-class golf. 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 golfers from North America.
“Our participation at this convention is just one element of Tourism Ireland’s busy promotional programme to inspire more golfers from North America and other key golf markets to consider a holiday in Ireland. 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.”
Tourism Ireland, together with golf and tourism operators from Ireland, has also attended other IAGTO conventions – in Abu Dhabi and Málaga – earlier this year.
