Morocco, Gran Canaria, Ireland and Lisbon Golf Coast’s Royal Obidos golf resort joined forces with global golf tourism industry organisation IAGTO at its inaugural UK Golf Day.
The event, staged at Brocket Hall Golf Club in Hertfordshire on 28 May, was attended by 28 golf tour operators and 12 golf travel journalists. And at a dinner following the golf tournament, plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of golf in Morocco and continue to grow the game in the country were unveiled by the Moroccan Tourist Office, one of the day’s sponsors.
Revealing that 2014 marks the centenary of the opening of Morocco’s first golf course - the Tangier Royal Country Club - Jamal Boujrad, Communication Manager of the MNTO in the UK, announced that IAGTO had been appointed to work alongside the tourist board, the Hassan II Trophy Association, the Morocco Golf Federation and Morocco’s National Tourism Confederation to oversee the development and implementation of a national golf tourism strategy. A series of events commemorating the centenary was also taking place during 2014, he added.
In the 17 years since it was first established, IAGTO has grown to encompass 2,250 member companies worldwide including 554 golf tour operators in 62 countries, of which 172 in 35 countries feature, promote and sell Morocco as a golf destination. There are 53 IAGTO golf tour operators in the UK, of which 28 sell Morocco, making it a very popular golf destination for British golf holidaymakers.
According to IAGTO’s 2014 Golf Tourism Survey, Morocco is the ninth most important golf destination for golf tour operators worldwide and in 2013 was the sixth-fastest growing golf destination.
Five Moroccan inbound golf tour operators also attended the golf day including Lesley Sanchez, Managing Director of Complete Tours. She said her company started selling golf tours five years ago and now worked with 40 IAGTO golf tour operators throughout Europe including key markets such as the UK and Germany – seeing a dramatic growth in international golf visitors over that time.
“We did around 4,000 heads in 2013 and as of March this year it was actually double on last year,” she added. “I would think we will be doing around 6,000-7,000 heads in 2014. For Morocco as far as golf is concerned, the only way is up. They have realised there is tremendous potential. They don’t want mass market; they want a slightly upper market client and I think that the golfing client fits that bill for them.”
IAGTO Chief Executive Peter Walton said: “Morocco is one of the few countries which is actively building new golf courses at the moment and this year alone should see the opening of three new golf courses. The promise of guaranteed weather, great and varied golf, ancient history and modern culture is a massive draw for golf travellers who will find availability of tee times even in the most popular months. Golfers from the UK will enjoy the lack of time zone change and short direct flying times.”
Jamal Boujrad added: “Golf in Morocco is celebrating its 100th year since the construction of the first golf course in Tangier. With some 30 courses now across the country, this shows how entrenched golf is in the modern Moroccan culture. We hope that British golfers unfamiliar with Morocco will consider our country for their next golf vacation where they will be able to enjoy more golf, more sun and more time!”
Other sponsors of the IAGTO Golf Day were: Gran Canaria, with representatives from the Gran Canaria Golf Association and five golf courses on the island; Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort, where a 39-room boutique hotel opens alongside the last golf course designed by Seve Ballesteros on July 1; and Tourism Ireland.
The UK Golf Day is one of a series of golf days being organised in Europe and Scandinavia this year by IAGTO, bringing tour operator members and the media together with sponsor partners, with two similar events having taken place in Germany and one being staged in Sweden on July 2.
Francisco de Bethencourt, Manager of Gran Canaria co-sponsor Anfi Tauro Golf, said Gran Canaria had worked with IAGTO since 2012 to provide IAGTO member tour operators with a Golf Pass, giving their clients five green fees which they could use to play on a mix of its seven courses or all on one course. “This idea has been really successful and has increased numbers each year,” he said.
“We think these kinds of event are really helpful for both the destination and the supplier for many reasons, but to me the number one reason is the bond it creates among us. When you get to know people face to face, not only out on the golf course but sharing a meal and a beer, is when something beyond business happens.”
Royal Obidos PGA Golf Professional David Ashington said: “We are sponsoring all four of the IAGTO golf days. It is key timing for us in terms of bringing brand awareness with the opening of the hotel and it gives us the opportunity to highlight the USPs of the resort to a lot of tour operators. There’s no bigger platform than through IAGTO. Our resort was very well received in Germany and I am very pleased with how it went in the UK. I didn’t get the chance to speak to everybody, but it was a talking point and it gives me a chance to follow up with those I didn’t get to speak to.”
Paul Cowgill, Managing Director of Bedfordshire tour operator Driveline Golf, said: “Apart from being visible and getting noticed, as a golf tour operator events like this are a key activity that is not only fun, but critical for business development. Being face to face with key suppliers in both established and emerging golf holiday regions like Morocco is critical. But also by talking with other tour operators, I am surrounding myself with people who share a similar ambition and face similar industry issues.“
INFORMATION FOR THE EDITOR
Photos of the IAGTO UK Golf Day are available to download here
Established in 1997, IAGTO is the global trade organisation of the golf tourism industry, and has over 2250 members in 99 countries including more than 550 golf tour operator members in 62 countries, which control more than 85% of golf holiday packages sold worldwide and which collectively have annual sales of over US$2 billion. IAGTO runs annual Asia and North America Golf Tourism Conventions, along with regular Destination Conventions. IAGTO established the International Golf Travel Market, now owned and operated by Reed Travel Exhibitions, in 1997 and the International Golf Travel Writers Association in 2000. IAGTO also runs the prestigious annual IAGTO Awards and the IAGTO Excellence Awards.
