Fáilte Ireland has identified golf tourism as a priority target as it helps prepare businesses for the impact of Brexit.
Annually, more than 200,000 overseas visitors play golf, which, according to Fáilte Ireland, contributes close to €270 million to the Irish economy and accounts for over 1.7 million bed nights.
PGA Merchandise Show
This week saw Fáilte Ireland team up Tourism Ireland to sell Ireland as a premier golf destination at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida.
Fáilte Ireland is focused on maximising the potential of the North American market as up to 50% of golf tourists come from the United States and spend an average of €168 million every year.
The PGA Merchandise Show is one of the largest golf trade shows in the US. At the event, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and 13 Irish tourism businesses pitched to over 40,000 golf professionals and enthusiasts from every US state, as well as 1,000 influential golf journalists.
Every golf visitor from North America alone is worth up to €1,800 to the Irish economy, and 80% of their spend is attributed to non-golf related activity.
"An Important Driver In Attracting More Visitors"
Head of commercial development at Fáilte Ireland Paul Mockler commented, "Golf plays a significant role in Irish tourism and it is important that we do all we can to support the industry to reach key overseas markets, like the USA. At Fáilte Ireland, one of our key priorities is spreading the footprint and benefits of tourism across the whole country. With some of our finest golf courses based in areas which have the capacity to host more international visitors, we believe that golf is an important driver in attracting more visitors to the regions.
"Fáilte Ireland’s continued presence at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is an example of our ongoing commitment to grow overseas golfing visitor numbers to the island. The 'Golf Ireland' brand has a substantial presence at this year’s show, with hosted 'Golf Ireland' evenings targeting large US-based media and tour operators. This, of course, is possible through the collaborative work between Fáilte Ireland and our colleagues in Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland."
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