Golf Tourism England (GTE) is backing North East England to grow its role in the UK’s inbound golf tourism industry, positioning the region as an alternative to Scotland and Ireland, where overseas demand is driving up green fees.
The announcement came during the sixth annual GTE Convention, hosted at Matfen Hall Country Hotel, Spa and Golf Estate in Northumberland. GTE chief executive Andrew Cooke highlighted the region’s combination of Top-100 links courses, luxury resorts, and cultural landmarks.
“The golf tourism industry is looking for credible and affordable alternatives for tourists wishing to play the best golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland. Domestic golfers are now being priced out by rising green fee prices fuelled by demand from overseas, principally from the U.S. market, and it’s time that England stepped forward to assert itself and compete more aggressively with Scotland, Ireland and Wales.”
“In North East England, you can play three GB & I Top-100 links courses, stay in five-star golf resorts and sporting estates, experience the vibrant cities of Newcastle and Durham and explore two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It’s time that North East England stepped out of Scotland’s shadow,” said Cooke.
Convention Headlines
- £50m investment at Matfen Hall Country Estate: upgrades to hotel, golf course, spa and clubhouse.
- New Tees Valley golf tourism strategy: plan to boost domestic and international visitor numbers in Hartlepool, Cleveland, Redcar, Stockton, and Darlington.
- Ramside Hall redevelopment: multi-million-pound clubhouse project with a new two-storey Top-Tracer range, sports bar, simulators, and bowling lanes.
- Ad Gefrin Distillery: Northumberland’s first single malt whisky in 200 years, now maturing in cask.
Industry Response
Tour operators from the USA, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, and the Netherlands attended the convention. They toured and played courses at Northumberland Golf Club, Dunstanburgh Castle, and Goswick Links, while also visiting Alnwick Castle and Garden.
Select Golf Tour operators at Goswick Golf Links, Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland
Andrew Hastie of Dutch travel agency Authentic Golf called the area “a beautiful region with interesting golf courses.” Stuart Imeson of Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club added: “From Goswick to Bamburgh, down to Alnmouth and Foxton Hall, there’s scope to build excellent golf tours.”
Economic Outlook
The UK golf tourism market is poised for sustained growth, with research showing that by 2035 inbound golf tourism will be worth more than £5.2 billion to the economy.*
The GTE Convention was supported by Discover South Carolina (headline sponsor), Destination North East England (host sponsor), Visit Tees Valley (co-host sponsor), and Visit Morocco (guest destination sponsor).