Spanish government backs Costa Brava hosting 2031 Ryder Cup

The Spanish government is backing Costa Brava's candidacy to host the 2031 Ryder Cup, one of the most important golf events in the world, as announced on Tuesday by the executive's spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez.

The bid is organized by the Spanish golf federation and would see the PGA Caldes de Malavella golf resort hosting the international event.

"This is one of the most important sporting events after the Olympic Games and the World Cup and drives a lot of interest," she said.

The competition occurs every two years and the hosting city alternates between the USA and Europe. For Spain, the competition makes a lot of economic impacts," as the country welcomes around 1.2 million golf tourists annually.

Investment, the Spanish La Vanguardia newspaper suggests, could reach €570 million from the competition itself, and €590 million more could come from golf tourism.

If elected, this would be the second time the Ryder Cup takes place in Spain, with the competition having celebrated its 1997 edition in the Campo de Gibraltar area, the southernmost point of the country. 

Twelve ministries are working together to back the candidacy "to make it easier to get visas and even infrastructure to host the event," Rodríguez said.

Ryder Cup

The tournament pits North American players against European golfers and sees fans tune in from 180 countries. Figures shared by La Vanguardia newspaper suggest that 270,000 spectators from 90 different countries travel to the Ryder Cup. 

Back in 2015, Spain lost out on the opportunity to host the 2022 tournament to Italy, which will welcome golf fans to Rome from September 29, 2023 to October 1, 2023 for the 2022 edition.  

Barcelona’s international events

The Ryder Cup in, if Catalonia is chosen, 2031 will be hosted in Caldes de Malavella; however, the candidacy will carry Costa Brava-Barcelona as its name. 

This is one of the big events the Catalan capital wants to take part in after the pandemic hiatus. 

In 2024, the city will host the America's Cup, a sailing competition that brings a large economic impact on the capital.