Article
Impact to reach far and wide
Paul Gallagher
31/07/06: Countdown to the 36th Ryder Cup at the K-Club in Kildare in September 2006 is well and truly on as Ireland gears-up to host the showcase event for the first time.
Golf in Ireland is already a cornerstone of the Irish tourism industry, contributing more then €190million to the economy in 2004 alone. The Ryder Cup Committee first agreed to bring the event to Ireland and since then Failte Ireland, and all associates involved in the event, have been "aggressively promoting" Ireland as a tourist destination.
"Nine years ago we had 58,000 visitors coming to Ireland to play golf," explains Damian Ryan, Director of Golf with Failte Ireland. "Compare that to 2004 where we had 240,000 visitors and you soon see the upward curve we are on. In Ryder Cup year we expect to exceed our target of 300,000 visitors, such is the healthy state of the Irish tourism industry."
"We are fortunate to have a unique product with so many world class golf courses on our doorstep. Of the 425 courses in Ireland 52 of them are links which accounts for one-third of all the links courses in the world."
"The Ryder Cup will do so much to promote Ireland, not just in golf terms but in a wider context because the country will be put in the shop window to a global audience through extensive coverage across all the TV networks," adds Ryan.
Ireland was voted Best Golf Destination in the world in 2004, beating off a lot of stiff competition. And with 40,000 spectators expected to pass through the K-Club gates each day during the Ryder Cup, Ryan is acutely aware how influential positive promotion through word of mouth can be.
"We are confident when tourists visit Ireland for the first time they will want to come back. Plus we also have the ace up our sleeve with the 19th hole and we full intend to play that card wherever possible," said Ryan referring to the unique hospitality Ireland has to offer.
"Preparations for the Ryder Cup are at an advanced stage and we were lucky to have been at the Belfry (2002) and Detroit (2004) to see how well they were organised."
"Outside of the Olympics and the World Cup the Ryder Cup is next in terms of magnitude and we are fortunate that Ireland has the capacity and desire to host such a high profile and prestigious sporting event," concluded Ryan.
Facts
Event: 36th Ryder Cup
Venue: The K-Club
Date: September 22nd-24th, 2006