Fáilte Ireland tees up Mayo golf tourism at Belfast event

FÁILTE Ireland showcased some of Mayo’s world-class golf product to golf enthusiasts in Northern Ireland at the annual Keep Discovering Golf promotion night ’ held in the Europa Hotel, Belfast.

Mayo attendees were Carne Golf Links and Great National Hotel Ballina.

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 spend going directly into local economies on non-golf expenditure such as accommodation, transport and food and beverage.

As Northern Ireland is an important market for Irish golf tourism, this annual event provides the industry with a vital platform to directly connect with potential customers to demonstrate the quality of golf product across Ireland.

On the night, 45 golf courses, resorts and hotels from the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and Dublin pitched directly to over hundreds of players, societies and clubs based in Northern Ireland.

Said Martin Donnelly, product sales and distribution manager, Fáilte Ireland: “Ireland is world-renowned for its high-quality golf product and the fact we welcome over 220,000 golf tourists each year is testament to this. Not to mention, the industry continually invests and develops its product to ensure it safeguards this reputation, with some very exciting development work going on right across the island just now. From championship links courses to parkland courses and numerous hidden gems, there is a course to suit golfers at every level spread throughout the country.

“Now in its ninth year, the Keep Discovering Golf promotion night offers Mayo golf providers and hotels a high-profile sales platform to promote their product directly to this attentive and lucrative market.”