Dear IGTOA Industry Colleagues,

We are now a number of weeks into what is an unprecedented and difficult time for everyone. We are all concerned about what Covid-19 means for our health and businesses both in the short and long term. Over the past few weeks, the executive board of the IGTOA have been meeting virtually to discuss what lies ahead for our industry. On Thursday 7th May we also met with Paul Mockler Head of Business Development at Fáilte Ireland and Martin Donnelly Business Development & Golf Ireland Manager with Fáilte Ireland, and have another meeting planned within the coming weeks to discuss the regrowth plan for the Golf Tourism Industry.

Our goal is to provide support and representation to our members during this difficult time. There is still a great deal of uncertainty, but the IGTOA is, as always, dedicated to making sure that our members have the information, resources, and support they need. One thing we are sure about is that we have a challenge on our hands. The Golf Tourism sector is a very important component to the Irish economy and it is our hope that in the coming weeks our government bodies will take steps to provide clear plans and financial assistance to mitigate the hardships faced by our industry. In the meantime, we will continue to closely monitor the situation and will continue to advocate for the industry. We have put together a task force with a goal to put in place a Golf Tourism Recovery Plan. This will outline recommendations and a call to action to our Government bodies on our needs to recover as swiftly as possible into 2021.

Relationships with our business partners and our clients are at the very core of the service we provide for the golf visitor. Now more than ever we need to work together as an industry to continue to promote the Island of Ireland as a world class golf destination. We need to understand each other’s needs as we strive to retain our clients and convert new business as we move into 2021 and beyond. Golf Tourism has weathered many storms in the past. We are confident that this sector within the tourism portfolio of incoming business will remain robust into the future as we navigate our way through this crisis. We need to ensure that our visitors continue to perceive the Island of Ireland as a destination that offers quality, value for money, service excellence and an unparalleled visitor experience. We can only achieve this by working together.

Your support has been invaluable to the IGTOA and if there is anything we can do to support you during this difficult time, please do let us know. At this time communication is most important and we encourage you to reach out if you have any suggestions or questions and we will do our best to assist and get answers.

We also understand there are an lot of changes taking place within our industry colleagues’ businesses. If you have a message you would like shared with our members, please email info@igtoa.com and we will work with you to get that information out.

Wishing you health and strength,

Denis Kane,
Chairman
IGTOA, Ireland Golf Tour Operator Association