Fáilte Ireland was in Belfast last week to showcase Irish golf courses to golfers from Northern Ireland in a bid to grow visitor numbers from the north to the Republic.
As a key driver of visitors from Northern Ireland, golf tourism has been identified by Fáilte Ireland as a priority target as the tourism development authority helps prepare businesses for the impact of Brexit.
As part of this work, Fáilte Ireland held its annual "Golf Ireland" event on February 7, with over 40 exhibitors from golf courses throughout Ireland in attendance.
The event showcased the value that Irish golf provides to over 400 golf enthusiasts, including members of local golf societies and clubs.
Annually, more than 200,000 overseas visitors play golf, which contributes almost €270 million to the Irish economy and accounts for over 1.7 million bed nights.
"A Significant Opportunity To Boost Visitor Numbers"
Paul Mockler, head of commercial development at Fáilte Ireland, commented, "Golf plays a significant role in Irish tourism. Golf visitors typically spend three times more than the average tourist, with most of their spend going directly into local economies. More than that, the spread of golf courses around the country offers a significant opportunity to boost visitor numbers and drive tourism growth outside of the better-known tourist hot spots.
"At Fáilte Ireland, we also see golf as an important component in our strategy to grow and retain the Northern Irish market in the face of Brexit. The Northern Ireland market is of particular importance to the Irish golf industry - not just for the border counties, but right across the country, and that is reflected in the number of clubs who have partnered with Fáilte Ireland on our 'Golf Ireland' promotion night."
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