Failte Ireland at K Club

The 2023 Horizon Irish Open was held this weekend at the K-Club, and Fáilte Ireland used the tournament as a platform to showcase Ireland as a world-class golfing destination while also promoting the cultural heritage of Ireland’s Ancient East.

An estimated 80,000 golf fans were at the K-Club over the four-day event to watch the world’s best golfers tackle the Ryder Cup Palmer North course.

Fáilte Ireland hosted up to 40 Irish golf-related businesses, including golf clubs and hotels from across the country, at the tournament, providing them with an opportunity to engage face to face with both domestic and overseas golf fans and encourage them to take a golf holiday in Ireland.

Speaking on the importance of golf tourism to Ireland, Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly said:

“Golf is an area that Fáilte Ireland supports and invests in as a key tourism driver for both international and domestic audiences, with the island of Ireland considered one of the top destinations for golfers worldwide. This week’s event was broadcast in over 160 countries via traditional outlets like Sky Sports and NBC Golf Channel and online streaming, reaching over 300 million viewers worldwide in the process, showing Ireland as an ideal destination for golfers.

“Our 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. Golf drives tourism revenue and sustains employment into areas that might otherwise not benefit from tourism to Ireland. Ireland’s Ancient East is a great example of how golf tourism drives tourism business right across the island, with 115 of the Ireland’s 400 course located in the region.”