Golf holidays in Northern Ireland to the fore in Orlando

The PGA Show in Orlando is one of the biggest golf exhibitions in the United States, attracting more than 40,000 golf professionals and enthusiasts, as well as around 1,000 influential golf journalists, each year – providing a fantastic platform to highlight our world-class golf.

Tourism Ireland had 20 partners at the show this year.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s head of North America, said: “The American golf market remains a priority for Tourism Ireland in 2015 and we will continue to promote Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland as a top golf destination, capitalising on the global success of our golfers including Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington.

“We will also take every opportunity to highlight this year’s Irish Open and we were delighted that Graeme McDowell took the time to drop by our stand at the PGA Show in Orlando – especially as the Irish Open at Royal County Down was so prominent on our stand this year.

“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 Northern 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 American golfers to visit.”

Tourism Ireland has an extensive programme of activity under way to promote golf in Northern Ireland in the United States this year – in particular highlighting the 2015 Irish Open at Royal County Down over the coming months and then at the Lough Erne Resort in 2017.