According to the Economic Impact Study of Golf in Portugal, the sector's direct exports amounted to 149 M€ in 2023. Golf also contributed to the creation of more than 110 thousand jobs, corresponding to more than 2.2 billion euros in remuneration.

The Economic Impact Study of Golf in Portugal was developed by Ernst & Young Parthenon and promoted by the National Council of the Golf Industry (CNIG) and the Portuguese Tourism Confederation (CTP) with aims of analysing the evolution of Golf in Portugal from 2019 to 2023.

The study highlighted that the sector has a strong impact on the reduction of tourist seasonality in Portugal, due to its high demand outside of the country’s high season. The periods with the greatest number of golfers were revealed as being between March and May and between September and November.

The economic impact of golf in Portugal in 2023 amounted to 4.2 billion euros, about 1.6% of the national GDP. Directly, it contributed 120 million euros to the national GDP. Most of the value generated by the sector resulted from courses located in the Algarve region, with €100M, reflecting the territorial distribution of the courses.

The Algarve is distinguished as the main region for the practice of golf, with a strong position in the international market, which allows it to capture 62% of the rounds in Portugal, mostly from foreign players, in particular British (about 46% of the rounds in the region). This is followed by Swedish (8%), Portuguese and Germans (both with 7%) and, in fifth place, the Netherlands (3.5%).

The North hosted about 7% of the total number of laps in 2023 and, in this region, most golfers are Portuguese – 81% of the laps. The members of the fields and clubs far exceeded the non-members (77%) and the direct economic contribution of the North region reached 1.7 million euros, that is, 1.4% of the total of 120 million euros of the sector's impact on the National GDP.

Portuguese and British golfers concentrate more than half of the rounds in the Centre, which has one of the highest post-pandemic growth rates. The region recorded a Gross Value Added (GVA) of 5.2 million euros and received about 9% of the total number of rounds in 2023, of which 29% were Portuguese practitioners and 25% were British visitors.

Representing about 15% of the tours in Portugal, the Lisbon Metropolitan Area attracted mostly nations with 64% in 2023. The Alentejo region has a reduced number in the total rounds in Portugal, with only 2%, where the practice is dominated by Portuguese golfers.

The Autonomous Region of the Azores represents only 1% of the total number of rounds in Portugal, despite this it was one of the regions that grew the most. The golf market in the Azores is essentially made up of Portuguese players (85%). The Autonomous Region of Madeira, although it represents only 3% of the tours recorded in Portugal, is distinguished from other regions with 35% of Danish origin and 25% being Portuguese.

The total number of rounds grew by 5% in 2023

With regard to the number of rounds, the sector recorded a growth of 5% in 2023, compared to 2022, with a total of 2,412,612 rounds nationwide. The turnover generated by golf courses in Portugal exceeds that observed in the pre-pandemic period (2019) by more than 40%. Additionally, the number of rounds also increased after the end of the pandemic (+12% between 2019 and 2023).

In 2023, the profile of visitors by origin was once again in line with the pre-pandemic reality, with a clear predominance of foreign golfers (74%). Even so, the slight increase in the share of members in the total number of rounds in the last two years (31%) compared to 2019 (27%) deserves to be highlighted.

"The recovery of golf practice is relevant for the sector itself, but also for tourism and the Portuguese economy, since its economic value is not limited to the income and jobs generated on golf courses. In addition to the knock-on effect generated by its intermediate consumption (maintenance, repair, utilities, goods), golf in Portugal also acts as a lever for the demand for accommodation, restaurants, transport, shops and leisure activities, as a result of the ability to attract foreign players with greater purchasing power than the "average tourist", generating a more significant impact per guest", says Nuno Sepúlveda, President of the Board of CNIG.

Top Ten

The United Kingdom is the largest market for golf tourists to Portugal - according to the calculations made at the CNIG golf courses, it represents about 33% of the total rounds in 2023 - a position it already occupied before the pandemic and which has been consolidated.

British golfers stand out in the Algarve region (about 46% of rounds in 2023), consequently justifying their impact at a national level, as this is the region that hosts the largest number of courses and rounds in the country.

In the other regions of the country, Portuguese players represent the main source market - with special relevance in the Autonomous Region of the Azores and in the North - with the exception of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, where Denmark leads the total number of rounds (about 35% of the rounds in 2023).

Among the main source markets in 2023, Swedish (6%), German (6%) and French (4%) golfers also stand out. The USA is the only non-European market to be part of the top 10 rounds in Portugal, already representing 1.2% of the main source markets. "We believe that the USA has enormous potential, namely with the opening of direct routes to Faro as early as next year", underlines Nuno Sepúlveda.