Almost six million households in USA are to view Golf Channel’s Northern Ireland special – and Ardglass Golf Club will be included.
Tourism NI welcomed Matt Ginella of the Golf Channel’s popular Ginella’s Journeys to Northern Ireland this week to explore the world-class golf courses and hospitality Northern Ireland has to offer the lucrative North American golf market.
On a three-day tour organised by Tourism NI, Matt Ginella mixed golf with popular visitor experiences and combined a round of golf on some of Northern Ireland’s most treasured links courses; Ardglass Golf Club, Royal Portrsuh Golf Club and Portstewart Golf Club with a visit to Titanic Belfast and a whiskey tasting experience at Old Bushmills Distillery.
The customised content filmed for Ginella’s Journeys will be launched during the channel’s popular Morning Drive programme and will reach over six million households in the USA during the week of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Portstewart Golf Club and will be supported by advertisements for the show and support across social media. A bespoke Northern Ireland TV ad will also air simultaneously.
Eimear Callaghan, Tourism NI Golf Marketing Manager welcomed Matt Ginella to Northern Ireland and is confident the impact of the trip will be significant. He said: “ Northern Ireland is made for golf and we are gaining global recognition for our world class courses, golfers and hospitality.
“133,000 golf visitors per annum visit Northern Ireland contributing approximately £32 million to the local economy and we have plans to increase this to £50 million by 2020. The North American visitor market will play a key role in meeting this target and having Ginella’s Journeys filmed in Northern Ireland will project emotive imagery and positive reviews of our world class golf offering and hospitality to potential golf visitors in a bid to encourage them to make Northern Ireland their next golf holiday destination.”
Tourism NI worked in conjunction with Tourism Ireland to invite Matt Ginella and the Golf Channel to Northern Ireland. Promoting golf holidays in Northern Ireland is a major focus for Tourism Ireland in the United States, and in other key markets around the world.
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s head of North America, said: “We were delighted to invite Matt Ginella, of Ginella’s Journeys, to Northern Ireland, to showcase the world-class golf on offer here to a huge audience of potential American golf holidaymakers. Tourism Ireland has an extensive programme of promotions under way this year, which included the launch of our new golf ad on the NBC Golf Channel, during the US Masters last week.
“This year, we are highlighting the 2017 Irish Open at Portstewart and the 148th Open, which is set to take place at Royal Portrush in 2019. Our message is that Northern Ireland offers American golfers the complete package – with some of the very best golf in the world, stunning scenery and the warmest of welcomes.”
Golf Channel viewers can watch the Ginella’s Journey’s Northern Ireland special during the week of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open w/c 3 July 2017.
