Tourism Ireland made a strong presence at the IAGTO North America Golf Tourism Convention in Michigan this week, emphasizing its commitment to boosting golf tourism from North America. The event, which attracted over 300 golf and travel professionals mainly from the US and Canada, saw the participation of 12 golf and tourism operators from Ireland alongside Tourism Ireland.
The two-day convention provided a platform for pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings and networking sessions, deemed crucial for securing contracts and forging partnerships for 2024 and beyond.
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, highlighted the importance of the convention, stating, “The IAGTO North America Golf Tourism Convention was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the island of Ireland and our world-class golf. Golf is the world’s largest sports-related travel market and Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday in Ireland is about much more than a round of 18 holes – the combination of our world-class golf and our unique brand of hospitality plays a key role in attracting golfers from North America.”
Metcalfe further emphasized the organization’s broader promotional strategy, stating, “Our participation at this convention is just one element of Tourism Ireland’s busy promotional programme to inspire more golfers from North America and other key golf markets to consider a holiday on the island of Ireland. We’re also taking every opportunity to highlight the fact that The Open will return to Royal Portrush in 2025 and the Ryder Cup will take place at Adare Manor in 2027.”
Earlier this year, Tourism Ireland, alongside golf and tourism operators from Ireland, had also participated in IAGTO conventions in Abu Dhabi and Málaga, demonstrating their dedication to reaching global golf markets.
The IAGTO North America Golf Tourism Convention in Michigan saw a diverse representation from Ireland, including Brendan Keogh from SWING Golf Ireland, Cormac Ryan representing Killeen Castle, Natalia O’Hanlon of Hastings Hotels, Paul McCanny from Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links, Sinead McNicholl of Dunluce Lodge, George Diamondis representing Tourism NI, Joe Murphy from Fáilte Ireland, Breffne McKenna of Castlemartyr Resort, Jeffrey Yau from Tourism Ireland, Leigh Heggarty of Galgorm, Brendan Mackey representing The K Club, Dave Wensley from North & West Coast Links Golf Ireland, Marie Collins of Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Doonbeg, Nessa McCall from Activities Ireland, and John Eggleston representing Ballybunion Golf Club. Their collective presence underscored the strength of Ireland’s golf tourism offering.
