The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Ireland from both a health and economic perspective. The Government has been called on by multiple sectors to provide support that in many cases could mean survival.

Sport has been given the lifeline of the Sports Recovery Fund of €70 million and yesterday we carried the story of the GAA, Ladies Football and Camogie being given an additional €15 million to mitigate losses of revenue through staging this year’s All Ireland Championships from October through to December.

Those who have presented the best cases in the best places and caught the moment between economic survival and the lift in morale that sport brings have come away with something so far, and that has increased the pressure on other sectors to step forward themselves.

In the aftermath of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open staged at the weekend and broadcast around the world, the Irish Golf Tour Operators Association is the latest to state its case.

It makes the point that while domestic golf in Ireland has managed to navigate its way through Covid, incoming golf tourism has simply not been feasible.

Knife-edge

“As a result, incoming golf tour operator’s business is on a knife edge,” it said in a statement.

“With the entire 2020 season wiped out and the outlook for 2021 uncertain to say the least, the Ireland Golf Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) is calling on the government to provide financial support to assist in keeping its businesses open.”

“IGTOA represents 16 incoming golf tour operator companies and, together with ITOA (Incoming Tour Operators Association) and AIPCO (Association of Irish Professional Conference Organisers), this sector directly employs 1,100 people and is responsible for €700m in revenues, and further supports 20,000 jobs. Additional spend by customers represents a multiple of this number.”

“Revenues are down approximately 97 per cent this year and could be down 80 per cent on pre-covid numbers in 2021,” according to Marty Carr, CEO of Carr Golf and one of the founder members of the Association.

“The Tour Operators are unlikely to see any meaningful return to business until 2022, while operating costs will remain to manage rescheduled trips. Along with two years of lost revenue, it will take several years to build back up our businesses. There is a very real danger many of our members will have to close their doors unless immediately supported. If IGTOA members do not exist, international golf tourism will disappear.”

Devastation

There is a phrase that if you never ask you never get and so the Association is fully entitled to make the case, alongside others in the travel and tourism trade who have seen a similar devastation of their business.

It is important to be specific with the ask so that it can be weighed up against the impact of not offering assistance.

The IGTOA is calling on support across three key areas.  It wants reinstatement of the Wage Subsidy to €350 per week through end 2021 to stem significant redundancies.

It is calling for a direct grant support/survival scheme through Fáilte Ireland for Inbound Tour Operators to enable companies to deal with deferred travel arrangements for their thousands of customers scheduled to travel in 2021, but now likely to defer to 2022.

Finally, it is looking for marketing support through Tourism Ireland to support sales and marketing activities in international markets.

Concerted Effort

Fáilte Ireland scored own goals, or in this case double bogeys when it Chair and another Board member had to step down over their holidaying abroad while calling for a concerted effort towards staycations.  They will need to act to re-establish their own leadership across the sector and represent a vital sector of Ireland’s economy and appeal to the world.

“Across the world, the game of golf is soaring with busy timesheets, rising equipment sales and increased club memberships,” continues the statement from the IGTOA.

“It has huge potential as a sport and as an industry, and Ireland has a unique product and highly regarded reputation. Incoming golf travel will play a significant role with respect to Ireland’s international tourism recovery. Therefore, it is vitally important to protect this industry, which supports hundreds of jobs across Ireland’s rural and urban communities.”

It’s a case well made.  It has to be to compete against many other equally deserving calls.