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Independent research has shown that hosting golf’s Open Championship in Northern Ireland during the summer brought an economic benefit of £280 million to the region.
An assessment jointly conducted by tournament hosts The R&A and Tourism Northern Ireland found that July’s sporting showpiece at Royal Portrush Golf Club had an economic impact of approximately £90 million within Northern Ireland.
Further research indicates that exposure of the region to a global audience resulted in destination marketing benefits worth £191 million.
Royal Portrush was attended by approximately 280,000 spectators over the course of a week, culminating with the world No. 1 golfer. Scotty Scheffler Lifting the prized claret jug in front of thousands of cheering fans.
The 153rd Open in Portrush was the second best attended event in the championship’s long history.
Now, an economic impact study was conducted by the Sports Industry Research Center Sheffield Hallam University It has been calculated that the Open provided £89.2 million to Northern Ireland, of which £43.7 million was generated within Portrush and the surrounding Causeway Coast and Glens area.
This is a significant increase on the previous occasion – the Open came in 2019 – when it was assessed as generating £45 million for Northern Ireland, including £26.2 million for the Causeway Coast and Glens.
Separate research from YouGov assesses the global exposure of the competition across TV, digital platforms and online media this summer – with destination marketing benefits estimated at £191 million.
Mark Darban, chief executive of The R&A, said: “This remarkable economic benefit figure of more than £280 million shows just how much value the Open brings to the areas where it is staged.
“As one of the world’s great sporting events it boosts tourism, generates substantial additional income for local businesses and communities, and attracts international spectators to watch the world’s best golfers compete at world-class venues.
“We enjoyed a really fantastic championship at Royal Portrush and the incredible passion and enthusiasm of the fans who created such a fantastic atmosphere.
“It was greatly appreciated by the players competing for the coveted Claret Jug, including the home favorites Rory McIlroy and this year’s champion golfer, Scotty Scheffler.
“We would like to thank Government And local agencies across Northern Ireland joined forces and members of Royal Portrush to lend their support to make the 153rd Open a huge success.”
More than half of the golf fans attending the Open (59.5%) traveled from outside Northern Ireland, including 17.3% from England, 16.7% from the Republic of Ireland and 12.3% from the United States.
Stormont’s economy minister Caoimhe Archibald welcomed the research findings.
“This is unprecedented and shows the importance of hosting such events for our economy,” he said.
“Hosting the 153rd Open here was a resounding success. We once again demonstrated our ability to host major events, strengthening our reputation around the world, including creating new tourism opportunities as our amazing landscape was broadcast globally.
“It promoted local businesses and provided a platform to build relationships with investors, including an event in Derry which I organized to showcase the North-West as a location for international expansion.
“I am proud of our role in delivering the 153rd Open. I would like to thank the R&A for once again entrusting us with the Championships, as well as Tourism NI and all the partners and volunteers who helped to deliver such a wonderful event. We look forward to returning to the R&A soon for the next chapter.”
Alvena Graham, Chair of Tourism Northern Ireland, said: “We have always known that golf tourism is a major driver for the local economy and today’s economic impact figures are testament to that.
“Tourism NI’s own research shows that the benefits of The Open were wide-ranging.
“Approximately 67% of Championship attendees extended their stay to visit other parts of the region, where they spent money and experienced our famously big-spirited welcome. Additionally, golf clubs and local businesses reported a positive local economic impact.
“Indeed, while the Championships generated £280 million in combined economic and media benefits, the marketing and communications activity undertaken by Tourism NI and tourism ireland Provided an additional £12.1 million in PR value. This unprecedented event will undoubtedly enhance our status on the world stage.”
Northern Ireland tourism bosses are hoping for a swift return to the tournament after this summer’s successful run.
When the Open came to the region in 2019 after an absence of almost 70 years, the R&A committed to bringing it to Royal Portrush at least twice.
It was surprising how quickly the major championships came back, especially after the event was missed for a year in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Tourism NI now hopes there will be a similar timeline for the next staging of the championships on the region’s beautiful North Coast.