Irish Open to boost golf and tourism

Fáilte Ireland welcomes marketing opportunities of the Open

The Chairman of Fáilte Ireland, Mr Redmond O’Donoghue, today welcomed the official announcement that Mobile Phone Company 3 will be the title sponsor of the Irish Open for the next three years. Fáilte Ireland will also be a major sponsor of this year’s event, with a substantial investment of €1 million in funding. This year’s 3 Irish Open will be played at County Louth Golf Club, Baltray, Drogheda, from May 14-17th, 2009.  

“The funding provided by 3 and Fáilte Ireland is a significant investment in the Irish Open and will allow us to boost and reposition the event as a major date in the golfing calendar”, said Mr O’Donoghue.
 
Mr O’Donoghue said that the Irish Open is an example of the type of major sporting event that Fáilte Ireland is promoting to showcase Ireland as a major sports tourist destination. Such events have the ability to generate significant international media coverage and bring substantial benefits for tourism and the wider Irish economy.  
 
Mr O’Donoghue emphasised:
 
“Golf is one of Ireland’s greatest tourist attractions, contributing an estimated €160 million to the economy. Importantly, when golfers come to Ireland, many also take part in other activities, which provides the opportunity to promote Ireland, not only as a golfing destination but also as a holiday destination of choice.
 
“Ireland will benefit from the Irish Open which will provide an international showcase for our golf assets. Last year, the event opened a window on Ireland to over 588 million homes worldwide – in marketing terms, a global media value of over €27m”,he said.
 
As part of Fáilte Ireland’s agreement with the European Tour, Ireland will be promoted as a golfing and holiday destination on the Tour’s website. This website attracts over 665,000 dedicated golfers every month and so provides a further opportunity to market Ireland to potential visitors.
 
Golf is one of Ireland’s unique tourism assets and the country unquestionably has the golf product to meet every skill level and every budget as well as being accessible in all regions of the country.
 
Fáilte Ireland, as the national tourism development authority, recognises the importance of golf to our tourism industry and has invested in a golf events strategy for many years with a view to showcasing the product to our key international markets. The Irish Open is a key example of this, attracting a strong international field of competitors and enabling Fáilte Ireland to raise awareness of Ireland as a premier destination for golfing holidays.
 
Acknowledging that the golfing sector is under pressure in the current economic climate, Mr O’Donoghue pointed out:
 
“We appreciate that many in the golfing industry are experiencing difficulties but, rest assured, Fáilte Ireland will work with you. Significant events such as the Open will help us to keep Irish golf up in lights as we compete internationally for visitors. We are also working closely with the golf sector to implement more effective and more efficient ways of running their businesses and marketing their products”.
 
This year, Fáilte Ireland is investing almost €4m in developing golf further. The strategy encompasses investment in high-profile events such as the Open and Solheim Cup and increased resources to market golfing in Ireland overseas, with particular emphasis on the US and UK, and also on mainland Europe. Fáilte Ireland is also working closely with the golf industry in Ireland, through a golf forum, to assist the sector in making the right changes to ensure the viability and success of the industry in the years ahead.
 
Concluding, Mr Redmond said: “I would like to compliment 3 on their commitment to the Irish Open and also to compliment Minister Cullen on his success in his efforts to secure the future of the event.”
 

ENDS

For further information please contact:
Alex Connolly
Head of Communications – 086 7966320/01 8847884
 
Louise Tolerton
PR Officer - 086 6086578/01 8847135
 

Notes for editor

Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, was established in 2003 to guide and promote tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish economy.
 
The tourism and hospitality industry employs an estimated 320,000 people and generates more than €6 billion in revenue a year.  
 

Golf in Ireland

Spread throughout the length and breadth of Ireland are more than 400 golf courses nestled against a backdrop of spectacular scenic landscapes. Indeed, Ireland is famous for having a third of the world's true "links" courses.
 
These spectacular links are complemented by an array of parkland courses which combine high-quality facilities and scenic beauty and offer a challenge to every golfer from beginner up to championship level. It is little wonder, therefore, that Ireland has been chosen to host a succession of international championships - from the Ryder Cup in 2006, to the Smurfit European Open, The American Express WGC Championship (2002 and 2004) and the Seve Trophy in 2002 and 2007.
 
The Irish golfing community meets and welcomes almost 194,000 visitors annually. Of these, some 56,000 are from North America, 83,000 from Britain and 39,000 from mainland Europe. Golf is one of Ireland’s greatest tourist attractions, contributing an estimated €160 million to the economy. Importantly, when golfers come to Ireland, many also partake in other activities which provide the opportunity to promote Ireland, not only as a golfing destination but also as a holiday destination of choice. 
 

Baltray 

The County Louth Golf Club, or "Baltray" as it is more affectionately known, is situated 7km (4 miles) from Drogheda at the mouth of the river Boyne and has a proud pedigree in hosting both amateur and professional championships most notably the 2004 Nissan Irish Open, The 2003 Vagliano Trophy, East of Ireland Amateur Championships and the Men’s Home Internationals.
Michael Delany, Manager of County Louth Golf Club highlights that fact that Baltray Links is “among the best rated courses in the world and it’s in the top six in this island. While the course can be sometimes ferocious and other times benign, it provides competition for all handicaps”. 
 

International Sports Tourism Initiative

The Government’s International Sports Tourism Initiative was set up in 2000 and is administered by Fáilte Ireland on behalf of the Government. The objective of this Initiative is to attract to Ireland major sporting events with tourism potential. The key objective in sponsoring events through this Initiative is to secure significant worldwide media coverage for Ireland and to secure significant bed nights for the region in which the event is taking place.
 
Ireland is a world leader in Sports Tourism and has punched way above its weight in this area for the past number of years.
 
Since its inception in 2000, the International Sports Tourism Initiative has sponsored a total of 148 international sports events in Ireland. In 2008, 9 major sports events were identified and supported by the Initiative.  Together, these attracted a considerable number of additional overseas visitors to Ireland, generating significant revenue for the Irish exchequer. In 2009, 9 further events have been identified for significant support – including the Irish Open and the Volvo Ocean Race.
 

Tourism and the North East

Fáilte Ireland East and Midlands’ Regional Strategy for 2008 - 2011 identifies the Heritage product in the Boyne Valley area as a key priority for driving growth in tourism volumes and revenues to the Region. The area is particularly rich in important heritage sites, while its proximity to Dublin means there is considerable potential to benefit from the volumes of visitors, both domestic and international, who travel through the capital. In particular, the retention of visitors in the area for longer than a day trip / short stay is a key objective.
 
Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula won the coveted European Destination of Excellence Award 2008 - an EU funded competition which recognised the host of activities and natural beauty of the Peninsula.

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