AN OVERSEAS golf tourist is worth almost three times the value of the average tourist to Ireland, according to research published by Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism authority.
It found the average spend by a golfing visitor was about €1,300. With about 155,000 overseas visitors playing golf during their visit here, their total estimated spend is about €204 million a year.
This supports some 7,300 jobs in Ireland, according to the study, which was carried out by Amárach Research.
The findings were discussed in Limerick yesterday during the annual briefing for the golf industry from Fáilte Ireland’s golf forum – the industry-based group established to develop the sector.
Some 84 per cent of British visitors said Ireland offered very good, or fairly good, value for money compared with 87 per cent of visitors from mainland Europe.
Four per cent of British people said Ireland was poor value for money, compared with an overall average of 2 per cent.
US visitors had the highest level of satisfaction with their visit.
The study was conducted at golf clubs last year through interviews with almost 750 overseas golfers.
More than three-quarters said the opportunity to play golf was a very important factor in their decision to come here. On average, they played four rounds of golf during their stay. The study found they were much more likely to be repeat visitors than other holidaymakers. Some 79 per cent of those surveyed were return visitors.
They were also more likely to be travelling with friends (44 per cent). The average size of a golf party was four people, with US and female golfers tending to travel in larger parties.
Fáilte Ireland said it would continue to invest heavily in golf this year and three-time major winner Pádraig Harrington would again be Ireland’s face of golf tourism.
Last year, Fáilte Ireland introduced a new online search facility to allow golfers to book their tee-time in real time.
