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| First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness are pictured with Keith Williams (Manager of Hong Kong Golf Club) during a tour of the competition this afternoon. |
The Ministers attended the tournament at the Hong Kong Golf Club, in Fanling, at the end of their week-long business mission to China.
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| Ministers are pictured holding the Ryder Cup with Mr Chi-Won Yoon, Chief Executive Officer of UBS Asia Pacific, the major sponsor of the Hong Kong Open. |
The First Minister said: “The participation and success of local golfers has shone the international spotlight on Northern Ireland giving us the ideal opportunity to promote tourism.
“China is a significant emerging market and that is why we are working to build awareness of Northern Ireland as a tourism destination. Golf tourism currently generates over £14 million per year for the local economy in Northern Ireland, with the average spend per golf visitor coming in at £300-£450, significantly higher than the average visitor spend.”
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| First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness are pictured with Jamie Birkmyre, Championship Director of the UBS Hong Kong Open during a tour of the competition. |
The deputy First Minister added: “As our golfers continue to play at the highest level of competitive golf around the world, more people will want to come to play the courses that our local golfers enjoy, and this will increase tourism spend in our local economy.
“Tournaments, such as the Hong Kong Open, represent a window to the world to gain further widespread exposure, and we are working to make the most of the opportunities created by our world-class golfers. Promoting our golf offering to an international audience and capitalising on the current global interest in our local golfers will help grow tourism here."
