Golf accounts for about $11.3 billion of Canada's gross domestic product

Recently the Royal Canadian Golf Association conducted a survey about the Canadian golf industry and life by Strategic Networks Group, Inc. These were the key findings:

• Canadian golf industry generates $11.3 billion in economic activity;
• Industry employment estimated at more than 341,000 golf related jobs;
• $439 million in philanthropic dollars generated by over 25,000 charity golf tournaments
• Golf related travel within Canada generates nearly $1.9 billion in tourism annually
• Estimated 70 million rounds of golf played in Canada in 2008
• Golf in Canada generates an estimated $29.4 billion in total gross production through direct, indirect and induced spending impacts.

In comparison to the above mentioned survey, KPMG says in their benchmark study (2008) that Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the Middle East are the top golf tourism destination for the forthcoming years. In traditional destination countries like Ireland and Scotland. Other interesting find of this very same survey is the value of the golf industry (core and enabled:tourism+real estate) in the EMA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) is 7.7 Billion Euros. The biggest contributors to this were Western Europe, UK and Ireland. For the next KPMG golf industry benchmark study we will have to wait until November.