'A resounding success': 153rd Open at Royal Portrush bigger and better than 2019 golf major
Tourism Northern Ireland has hailed the return of The Open to Northern Ireland as "a resounding success".
Around 278,000 golf fans descended on the North Coast for the week-long event.
Tracy McAllister is a shop owner in Portrush who "never seen crowds like it" in the town.
She said: "We had some of the families of the professional golfers that were in Portrush from the States and from South America.
"We had some people here from Australia and New Zealand.
"We are so delighted that we had a really good week of trade.
"I think The Open was about 25% bigger this time than it was in 2019 so it would be brilliant to have it back."
There were concerns following the last tournament that Portrush did not see the trade it should have.
The ability for fans to leave the course during the day this time has helped.
Alan Simpson from Portmagic said: "There is little doubt that there was a lot more people in Portrush this time around."
"The ticketing ballot scheme gave people more freedom." he said.
It wasn't just spectators enjoying the town, with Jon Rahm being one of many golfing superstars decompressing in Portrush.
"Scottie Scheffler's wife and young Bennett, who stole the show on Sunday evening, spent a lot of time in West Strand and the beach making sandcastles."
"The golfers come into town and mingled with the locals. They were happy to take selfies and photographs.
"Everywhere you looked there was a famous golfer. Xander Schauffele went to the local spa."
The home of Rory McIlroy was the Dunluce Lodge last week, which overlooks the fourth hole at Royal Portrush.
The success of the 2019 tournament prompted the resort to be built.
Sinead McNicholl from Dunluce Lodge described the economic benefits to come over the next number of years as "very exciting".
"Over the last 48 hours we've seen a phenomenal increase in inquiries not just from golf enthusiasts, but from people looking for day spa activities, and wellness retreats."
Tourism NI has said the region should feel 'incredibly proud' of its seamless and highly successful delivery of The Open.
It is estimated that the economic and media benefit from hosting the major will exceed £213million.
John McGrillen, CEO of Tourism NI, said the opportunities and impact associated with hosting such a global sporting event 'cannot be underestimated'.
'The exposure created during this incredible week of golf is invaluable for the entire region.
'From the thousands of people who visited Royal Portrush to see the action first-hand to the millions who watched the television coverage, Northern Ireland has without doubt been showcased as a must-see golf and tourism destination.", he said.'Opportunities to stage major events such as this cannot be under-estimated and the chance to host The Open, not just once, but twice in the past six years is a remarkable achievement.
'The warm welcome people from around the world received means it will not be the last time they visit Northern Ireland.'
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Plans to boost UK tourism criticised as unrealistic
Government plans to increase tourism in the UK have been criticised as "completely unrealistic" by a leading travel a visit to Falmouth in Cornwall, Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant said he wanted 50 million more overseas visitors to the UK by Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, said the plan was "completely impossible" without reversing "damaging" post-Brexit travel said taking away the ability for EU citizens to travel using national ID cards instead of passports had reduced tourism, adding some people thought "we won't bother". Mr Calder said plans to encourage more British people to holiday in the UK were likely to fail because UK holidays were "just too expensive".It would "almost certainly" be cheaper for a family from Manchester to fly to Spain than to catch the train to Cornwall, he Chris had said he knew things were still "really tough" for people working in the tourism sector and more needed to be done to highlight what areas like Cornwall could offer domestic Labour MP said Covid had impacted the industry greatly but he remained confident visitor numbers could return to pre-pandemic levels."I want many more British people to say 'what's the point of Spain - we've got this'," he said. Mr Calder said it was "absolutely crucial" to get international visitors, as it was the "closest any area could get to free money", because of the money tourists spent gave a proposal to extend the tourist season in Cornwall a cautious backing."Cornwall's problem isn't attracting people in July and August it's attracting them in November," he said."The minister was talking up the idea of being in Falmouth on a winter's day watching the storms... that might work."The issue would be persuading people, Mr Calder said."Unfortunately, a lot of people in November would slightly rather be in Spain than in lovely Cornwall," he said.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Hurtigruten will pay remote Norwegian villages to host passengers
A Norwegian cruise company has said they have found an "antidote to overtourism ' by offering sailings to smaller villages as part of their packages. Cruise giant Hurtigruten has introduced new 'Open Village' experiences along Norway 's remote coastline in collaboration with local residents. The company said they will be sending a fee per guest to communities involved. The exclusive experiences have been designed to immerse visitors in the everyday life of three villages on the coast: Træna, Bessaker, and Sæbø. Excursions will be available to passengers on Hurtigruten's Signature Line Voyages in the busy summer period between May and September. These voyages take place on the cruise line's smaller ships: the only vessels that visit the remote coastal villages during the summer season. There is space for up to 500 passengers on each ship, with Hurtigruten saying they will directly contribute 250 Norwegian Krone (around £18) per guest to each community they visit. In Bessaker, guests will be welcomed with a festive village parade and will gain access to historic buildings. Live music, woodcarving activities and homemade treats are also planned. Over in Sæbø, tourists can attend church concerts, explore the Avalanche Centre and get a guided tour of the town's natural and cultural history. Meanwhile, a visit to Træna, one of Norway 's oldest fishing communities, will include tours of the local museum and church, plus self-guided wanders around the town. 'As some of Europe's best-known destinations struggle with the pressures of overtourism, our approach is deliberately different: slower, more meaningful travel rooted in genuine connection,' said Odd Tore Skildheim, head of product development at Hurtigruten. 'These villages, with a combined population of fewer than 1,000, are not just points on a map. Through our 'Open Village' concept, there is no cost to our guests. 'Instead, for every visit we make, there is a direct financial contribution made by Hurtigruten to each community based on the number of guests onboard, ensuring the benefits are felt by the people who live there. 'Our aim is for guests to feel truly welcomed and for locals to feel genuinely supported,' he added. Knut Johan Monkan, from tourism company Coastal Host Bessaker, said that while the community will be making an income, the Open Village initiative will also be an opportunity for growth. 'In a village of just 170 people, 12 businesses benefit directly from activity providers to artists, bakers and local producers. 'Without this initiative, places like FABrikken, our new restaurant, and Stokkøy Bakeri, named Norway's best bakery in 2023, would not have managed to keep going. 'The ripple effects are wide-reaching, and Hurtigruten's presence is essential to creating a sustainable, living village and district.'
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
LIV Golf star shows true colours as he speaks about crowd reaction to Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy may have had to settle for finishing tied for seventh at The Open, but the wave of support for the Masters-winning superstar was unlike anything Tom McKibbin has ever seen LIV Golf star Tom McKibbin has claimed he has never witnessed anything quite like the reception given to Rory McIlroy at The 153rd Open Championship. McIlroy was unable to claim his sixth major at Royal Portrush, as he and his fellow competitors could only look on whilst Scottie Scheffler cruised to victory to take the Claret Jug. Nevertheless, the 36-year-old received a hero's welcome when he stepped onto the course, with locals desperate to catch sight of the Masters champion. The highly-regarded McKibbin, who endured a disappointing Open Championship after missing the cut on day two, has now praised the Portrush spectators for their steadfast backing of McIlroy, who eventually secured a T7 finish. The youngster's comments display that, even though the support was largely reserved for McIlroy, whose pleas he famoulsy ignored to sign up to LIV Golf this year, he was still ecstatic to see his compatriot be given such a reception. "Yeah, no, I didn't see the stuff on Sunday. I obviously seen it the first couple days, on the Friday," the 22-year-old said when questioned about the crowd's response to the Holywood-born star. "I think he was finishing up when we were on the 12th or 13th, so you could obviously see them from very far away, and the crowds were incredible last week. It was something I hadn't seen before, and it was really good, the support that they showed everyone." With speculation that future Open tournaments could return to Portrush – or Portmarnock – McKibbin was questioned about what teeing off at those venues for a major would mean to him, reports Belfast Live. "I think Portmarnock is a great links course, probably one of the best in the country, and again, it's a very sort of special, special place, special golf club with a lot of history," the Northern Irishman said. "It's a very pure form of golf. As all the rumors are, the Open there would be pretty cool, and to sort of have two Open venues on the island would be pretty cool." McKibbin has suffered from inconsistent form in the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit this year and blamed "silly" errors for his Open Championship woes. "It's been a frustrating last two days. I've played some really nice golf," McKibbin told BBC Sport. "I think it's the best I've played in the four majors I've played in. There was just a few silly mistakes. It's very frustrating with the way I think I've been playing. "I birdied the first and made some really nice chances, and to drop those shots that I didn't think were too poor of a shot, they were more of a mistake, that's what more frustrating than anything." McKibbin's switch to LIV notably grabbed McIlroy's attention, with the Northern Irishman urging him against joining the breakaway circuit. Nevertheless, McKibbin opted to proceed anyway and has since revealed he harbours no regrets about rejecting the PGA Tour, whilst also explaining how competing alongside stars such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau has sharpened his skills. "No, very happy," he told the Irish Independent in May when asked about any regrets over his move. "I've had a great time. Yeah, I'm very happy. I've been very fortunate to tee up alongside several stellar players who have shone in the majors and battle it out with them."
