LIV Golf tournament expected to inject tens of millions of dollars into SA economy
Cashed-up golf fans are set to inject tens of millions of dollars into SA during this weekend’s LIV Golf tournament – and it won’t stop there.
SA News
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Cashed-up golf fans are expected to inject tens of millions of dollars into the local economy during this weekend’s LIV Golf event, which has been dubbed “the biggest advertisement for Adelaide and South Australia in the world”.
More than 63,000 tickets have been sold for the inaugural three-day tournament, which is being held at the Grange Golf Club.
About 30 per cent of ticket holders are from interstate and a further 10 per cent are from overseas.
Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the event had proven popular among fans, and tickets sold out in record time.
“Our state’s tourism and hospitality industry is celebrating another successful week, which translates to more visitors, more economic activity and more jobs for the industry,” she said.
Australian Hotels Association SA branch deputy chief executive Anna Moeller said the economic benefits would be wide-reaching.
Asked how significantly the event would boost the state’s economy, she gave the same “tens of millions” figure the AHA correctly forecast for the AFL Gather Round last weekend.
“But really, the thing about the LIV Golf is that it is literally the biggest advertisement for Adelaide and South Australia in the world,” she said.
“We’ve got people coming here from across the nation and internationally but it’s being broadcast across the world. You couldn’t have asked for a bigger advertisement.”
Ms Moeller said the benefits would be long-lasting.
“It’s not just about this weekend or this week, we’re going to be reaping the rewards of what is sown this weekend in the months and the years to come,” she said.
SA Tourism Commission (SATC) chief executive officer Emma Terry described the economic potential of golf tourism as “significant” for the state.
“The travelling golf fans are generally a high-spending and engaging visitor, with capacity to explore Adelaide and South Australia while they are in our state,” she said.
Ms Terry said the businesses expected to benefit most from the event included hotels, restaurants and wineries, while other golf clubs have also received additional bookings.
From a tourism perspective, she said a “famil” (familiarisation) program developed by the SATC leveraged the celebrity status of players and LIV Golf executives to showcase tourism offerings across the state.
Under the program, LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman went shark cage diving in Port Lincoln earlier in the week.
Business SA chief executive Andrew Kay said LIV Golf would keep “visitation momentum rolling” on the back of Gather Round and the March festival season.
“Once again, it sends a broader message to the world that Adelaide is alive and there is a vibrancy to our state,” he said.
“When sectors of the local economy tighten, the benefits of an influx of spending from outside our borders cannot be underestimated.”
Mr Kay said major events such as LIV Golf played a key role in building local business confidence, interstate and international awareness or our state, and driving future tourism.
“We know that SA is not a destination state, we need a reason to get people here and then research tells us that they return, they tell friends and family about us and it grows from there,” he said.
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