New figures released by Tourism Northern Ireland show the overall value of golf tourism reached a record £86.2 million in 2024.
Research conducted by Sporting Insights for Tourism NI’s annual Golf Tourism Monitor show the value has risen by almost 66% since 2019, when The 148th Open was held at Royal Portrush. In addition, the value has more than doubled in the past decade, from £33.2 million in 2014.
A total of 29,400 non-domestic golfers visited North Ireland to play in 2024, which was a great year for golf thanks to more North American and international golfers and a notable increase in luxury market spending and longer stays.
The Tourism NI research found that North America remains the priority market for golf visitors, accounting for 70% of visitors, who generated £44.3 million to the tourism sector last year compared to £36.2 million in 2023. There was also a rise in the spend of golfers from ROW (rest of the world) – predominantly Australia – rising from £3.1 million in 2023 to £11.6 million last year.
Golfers from Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) generated £12.5 million into the local tourism sector in 2024, up from £11.9 million the previous year. On average, golfers spent around nine days on their visit to Northern Ireland, playing five rounds on different courses during their stay.
The visiting golfer is defined by the primary purpose of their travel being to play golf in Northern Ireland. Whilst golf would be the purpose of the trip, for every £1 spent on green fees, a further £4 is spent on ancillary services such as accommodation, transport and food and beverage.
The figures have been released just two months before The 153rd Open Championship is due to take place at Royal Portrush Golf Club from July 13-20. Sheffield Hallam University have estimated that the event will deliver a combined economic and media benefit of £213 million to Northern Ireland.
Naomi Waite, Director of Marketing at Tourism NI, said: “Tourism NI is really encouraged by the figures in this year’s Golf Tourism Monitor, which show the appeal of Northern Ireland as a leading golf destination. Northern Ireland remains a highly sought after destination for golfers from North America, who consider this to be a bucket list golfing experience. The return of Australian visitors post pandemic is very positive news, along with our close to home markets in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland remaining strong. The 153rd Open, which is taking place at Royal Portrush in July, will continue to showcase our exceptional destination to a huge international golfing audience. This will build on the current demand for many years to come.”
Bill Donald, General Manager of Royal County Down, said the new figures reflected “the hard work which is achieved throughout the whole golf industry. He commented: “Royal County Down has in the region of 9,000 visiting golfers from across the globe travel here to play golf every year, and these golfers tend to stay on average a week, in hotels, visiting bars and restaurants, and playing golf at other clubs. The benefits of the visiting golfer are very important to the golf tourism industry here and Royal County Down are extremely proud to play a big part within this sector.”