Asia’s largest-ever golf tourism event has been trumpeted as a huge success, with a record 556 delegates from 40 countries attending the third annual Asia Golf Tourism Convention on China’s Hainan Island.
Organised by global golf tourism industry association IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators), AGTC 2014 was hosted by award-winning golf and spa resort Mission Hills Haikou and the Haikou government, with the convention business sessions taking place over two days at the spectacular ocean-front Hainan International Exhibition & Convention Centre in Haikou.
And IAGTO President and Chief Executive Peter Walton has predicted that golf holiday sales from around the world to China’s southerly tropical island will more than double over the next 18 months as a direct result of the event.
During the convention, more than 200 golf tour operator buyers from over 150 companies in 32 countries met with 290 supplier delegates from 150 seller companies including golf resorts, golf clubs, hotels, inbound operators and tourist boards from 19 countries across the Asia-Pacific region: China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Fiji, Mauritius, India, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Australia and New Zealand.
There were 137 delegates from China alone, with 57 sellers and 80 tour operator buyers. The convention was also attended by 60 media, dignitaries and other invited guests.
IAGTO’s Peter Walton said: “I am delighted with the attendance at only our third annual AGTC. This is one of the few travel trade conventions that attracts more buyer delegates than supplier companies. Altogether we had 556 delegates from 40 countries, which makes it the largest golf tourism event ever to have taken place in Asia.
“The purpose of the convention is, primarily, to enable our golf tour operator members to meet with golf resorts, golf courses, hotels, inbound operators and tourist boards from 19 countries in the Asia Pacific region. More than 5,000 meetings took place between these buyers and suppliers over the main two days of the event.”
Walton continued: “We select the AGTC destination and venue with great care and the idea behind year’s AGTC was to showcase the Chinese tropical island of Hainan to the global golf tourism industry. It is fair to say that Hainan was relatively unknown to our golf tour operators so this was an opportunity to put it on the map.
“This volcanic tropical island has 54 golf courses of great variety and high quality with visitors welcome at many of them. Mission Hills Haikou, with its 10 golf courses, stands out as the flagship golf resort of Hainan Island and is, for me, the most spectacular golf and spa resort in the world. The spa facilities, including hot springs, are just incredible and as a result of hosting the AGTC, many more golfers around the world will become familiar with all that Mission Hills Haikou has to offer because of the increased exposure the resort will receive in tour operator brochures and websites.
“The tour operators were able to play three of the 10 courses during AGTC and 160 of them visited other courses on the island for an additional three days, so we are fairly certain that international golf holiday sales to Haikou and Hainan will more than double over the coming 18 months.”
Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group and Chairman of the IAGTO China Chapter, enthused: “The third annual Asia Golf Tourism Convention has been an outstanding success on every level and Mission Hills Haikou is delighted to have played such a central role in this landmark event.”
Mr Chu remarked that the attendance figures made AGTC 2014 “by far the biggest golf tourism event ever to have taken place in Asia.”
“As Chairman of the IAGTO China Chapter, I’m thrilled that 137 of the delegates were from China, which shows a fantastic level of interest and a great willingness to network for the good of the industry,” he added. “AGTC has also been a wonderful opportunity to showcase Mission Hills Haikou and Hainan Island to the golf travel community. We have opened up fresh avenues of business and made many new friends in the process.”
Buyers and seller delegates were full of praise for AGTC and Hainan Island:
Hikaru Yakashiji, Managing director, NibLinks, Japan (IAGTO Japan representative): “There are three exhibitors from Japan and two media. They are very happy with what they are seeing here. Two companies came last year and the year before, so this is their third year. They have been amazed by how many buyers are here from different companies and countries. They had many enquiries they didn’t expect before the convention. They are going to come up with new marketing plans as a result.”
Ludovic Hoytema van Konijnenburg, CEO, The Golf Traveller, Netherlands: “This is my first AGTC. It is the only opportunity where you can meet so many potential business partners from Asia in such a short time. It is very well organised as far as meetings are concerned. It is 24 hours a day over a few days. It has definitely matched by expectations. One of the things I have learnt about the different IAGTO conventions is that you have to get your focus right. Only accept meeting requests from people you can work with. I was already doing business to Asia but I wanted to expand into Vietnam and Cambodia. Indonesia was a former Dutch colony and if there was a bucket list for a Dutch traveller, Indonesia would be on it. For many European countries the whole of Asia is still very unexplored for golf. Our target market is baby boomers; Asia has a lot of potential for them.”
Janet Leach, Golf Marketing Manager, Mississippi Division of Tourism Development, USA (an AGTC international sponsor): “This was my first time at the Asia Golf Tourism Convention and in the Asian market. We have had a full schedule of meetings. We have been very pleased with the feedback that we have received from the tour operators. They seem very knowledgeable about their clients and what they need, and they are very interested in the US market and new destinations. We have met tour operators from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaysia. It has been very positive and they seem very sincere about the destination. We have a three-year plan so we will be coming back next year. Our plan is to do media and tour operator fam trips for the Asian market over the next three years.”
Sherwin Tan, Business Development Manager, Happy Travel, Philippines: “It is my first time. It is a very good convention to meet people and network. I am very impressed by how IAGTO coordinated travel companies from all over the world to make it easier for us to network. You can meet half the world in one convention. I have found it very useful. It saves me time, money, effort and plane tickets to take trips. I have been to China a lot. People are very hospitable, the golf is good and the weather is good. Mission Hills is very grand, with many golf courses in one and a 100-pool spa.”
Filip Dohnalek, General Manager, IB Travel, Czech Republic: “This is my second AGTC; my first was last year in Pattaya. It is very good because I see many new contacts. I see many companies from all over Asia so that I can combine some packages between Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and China. It is also good to meet people from other countries and get their recommendations for golf courses and hotels you don’t know. For me, China is a new golf destination. This is my first time here. We want to start to promote it in the summer and sell it from next winter.”
EuShen Ng, President, Malaysia Golf Tourism Association: “There are 15 delegates from nine companies in Malaysia. Everyone is looking into the China market and that is the biggest reason to come here. Meetings with other destinations are a bonus. It is the first time at AGTC for more than half of the delegates from Malaysia. They are very pleased with the new contacts they have made and the prospective buyers. It has been above expectations in terms of business openings and they are very happy with the turn-out of the Chinese buyers. Mission Hills is fantastic but Haikou doesn’t have a direct flight from Malaysia, which is a hindering factor. For the first-timers, it has been an eye-opener for them and they are genuinely very excited about future prospects.”
Roger Guo, Managing Director, China Golfing Holidays, China: “The is the third time I have been to AGTC. I am based in Haikou so it is helpful and convenient, and it saves me having to spend time to make trips to do sales calls. I am pleased with the meetings we have had and I will probably go to Jakarta in 2015. I hope IAGTO can get more buyers from Europe, America and Australia. We are getting more requests for Mission Hills Shenzhen, Spring City and Mission Hills Haikou. I think golf in China is going to grow a lot in the future because more and more new courses are coming.”
Guarav Dogra, Founder, Planyourholiday, India: “I went to AGTC in Pattaya so this is my second year. It is a great platform to meet people from all over the region. We were promoting a lot to Kunming. It is high-end customers who will come to China. The cost of playing in China is a little on the higher side. When golfers come from India they want luxury golf, shopping, spa and night life and they are sorted – and Asia takes care of that.”
Taylor Murphy, Golf Coast Vietnam: “We think this event is great value; you need to be here. It gives us a lot of opportunity to meet so many people at the same time. It is a pretty unique thing for us to be able to do. Most interest for us has come from the China market, because we have a casino and a lot of direct flights to Danang from China. Needless to say, we will be attending AGTC in Jakarta.”
Pansy Gonsalvez, Sales and Contracting Manager, Dubai Golf: “We have been to every AGTC. This time I have had better meetings and done better business compared with the last two conventions. We have had meetings with people from Australia and Indonesia, but not so much from China. This is all new business for us. I am happy with what I am taking away from this event. It was better than the Malaysia and Thailand shows because of the quality of buyers. I know I am going back with some constructive business. I think what they are trying to achieve here [in China] is good, but people need to be more ready to welcome international visitors.”
Patty Donovan, Director of Travel Industry Sales, La Quinta Resort & Club, California, USA (another AGTC international sponsor): “This is our first-ever AGTC and we decided to come for a number of reasons. We have made a dedicated effort towards the Asia market over the past five months and we are working with Brand USA and Visit USA. We have just hosted our first Chinese New Year celebration with fireworks and special food. We have had a good mix of meetings with people from Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Australia, but the majority have been with Chinese buyers. We have some bookings coming in May, which is really great. We have done a lot of talking about itineraries in California, helping to sell the destination, and we are really encouraged. This is really the best way to reach the Asia market and because we are making such a commitment to that market it makes sense for us to be here.”
Elizabeth Sattler, Manager, Great Golf Courses of Australia: “This is my first time and it has been excellent. I have had a full appointment schedule. Facilities have been good and Haikou is a great destination. We have had a lot of interest from people who want to start selling Australia to people we are already working with selling groups who will be coming down in the next few months. It has been a really good convention for us and we will be going to Jakarta.”
Chris Atkinson, Marketing Communications Manager – Sectors, Tourism New Zealand: “Queenstown came to AGTC last year but this is our first time as Tourism New Zealand. I think it has been really good. There has been a good level of interest. It has certainly given us a good feel for the China market, which is going to be massive for New Zealand. It is just a case of how to get the product right for them. It has been very informative and we have picked up contacts for buyer to follow up with. We have got a new tourism strategy which is about targeting high-spending individuals, and sports like golf are a key part of that. We will be going to Jakarta because we realise you have to be in this for the long haul.”
Daniel Remiot, President, Greens du Monde, France: “This is my third Asia convention. It has been very successful for me; I have had a lot of very good meetings. I like the convention because it is difficult for us to come here for business otherwise. We can meet DMCs, hotels, resorts, golf courses and new destinations like here in Hainan. You can do pre and post fam trips to discover the destination. It’s fantastic.”
Connie Mamaril, Managing Director, Regent Travel Corporation, Philippines: ”As a buyer, we are very interested in the China market. China has been very popular for outbound travel from the Philippines. For golf it is Mission Hills Shenzhen because it is near Manilla and then Mission Hills Haikou because it is a complete package for our customers. Not only golf but activities like shopping, spa, entertainment and restaurants. AGTC is very successful and is well attended. We have six tour operators and five suppliers from the Philippines, but we need the presence of the government to fully support our activities.”
Chris White, General Manager, Yas Links, Abu Dhabi: “Overall, it has been a very good event. One of the most interesting and exciting aspects was the comments from Mr Tenniel Chu about the growth of golf in China and the anticipated number of players in coming years who will want to experience golf in other parts of the world.”
Dai Weina, Market Planning Director, Grand Tour Golf Travel Service, China: “This is my first time to AGTC. We sell golf vacations and family vacations and our customers come from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou. Our classic products are St Andrews, the British Open, the US Open, the Masters and Pebble Beach, and tournaments in Asia. It is very helpful to come here because we are looking for good relationships with local operators in South East Asia and in other countries we do business with. AGTC is very impressive and it has been very good. I hope to go next year as well.”
Dieter Weidenbach, Owner, Golfsportreise, Germany: “The convention has been very good for us. In the past, we have sent information to Vietnam and they organised a trip and now we have found a local Vietnam agency here. We have got some ideas for new products here. Before, we went to Beijing, Xian, Guilin and sometimes Shanghai. We have never been in Kunming, but we will go to Kunming and then to Hainan or Shanghai or Hong Kong.
Peggy Yang, Assistant Sales & Marketing Manager, Spring City Golf & Lake Resort, Kunming, China: “We have filled our appointments over the two days. It is our third time for us to attend this convention and the meetings have been very successful. We have achieved a lot this year. More and more people are getting to know about Spring City. Even though we are just a small city in China, more people are getting to know about Kunming and the golf courses. It is good for us. I think mainly Asian tour operators are interested in organising trips because of the logistics. We have some tour operators from Germany and France but it is not easy for their clients to come to Kunming because it is a very long journey.”
Eroni Puamau, General Manager, Rosie Holidays, Fiji: “This is our third year as a destination. It was initially funded by our tourism office and we have basically taken over from that. I have been quite pleasantly surprised by the turn out and the interest in Fiji, particularly from an Asia perspective. I was coming here to meet up with a lot of Asian golf operators and it has exceeded my expectations. In terms of the quality of meetings it has been fantastic. It has been a phenomenal event from our point of view. We have actually come away with a range of bookings from individual clients to groups, with some people playing in the Fiji International pro am event in August at Lucky Dollar Bay Resort. Most of the interest is from China; a lot of my meetings have been with Chinese operators. It’s a market we have seen grow phenomenally in the last five years. Mission Hills Haikou is an amazing resort. I walked around it and was blown away by it. They have got more golf courses than we have in Fiji!”
Robert Matthews, Contracts Manager, Quality Golf Destinations, UK: “This is my first AGTC personally although we have been to all three. It has gone very well. I expect to get a lot of new business as a result of the convention. I have got some DMCs to use and contacts for people who want to do more sightseeing rather than just play golf. If people are coming this far they are not just going to come to play golf. China will be the first project when I get home. It will be on the website in a few weeks; we are looking for a three-centre package, covering Hong Kong, Mission Hills Haikou and Sanya and I am hoping to offer an option for Kunming from Chiang Mai so people can go there instead of going to Bangkok. I am pretty confident we will be putting something together for Indonesia as well. I want it to be up on the website for next year.”
Kullatorn Messomont, President, East Coast Golf Courses Management Association, Thailand: “It was better last year – there were more Asian buyers, not only from China but also from the Philippines and Japan. Most of the meetings have been with operators from China. There has been a lot of interest from China. They like Thailand as a destination, particularly Bangkok, because of the direct flights.”
Laurence Neumann, Director of Sales – International Business, Pullman Sanya Yalong Bay Villas & Resort, China: “It has been very good. People from Europe are coming to see Sanya and get to know more about it. They haven’t started sending clients here yet but I have been telling them how to package their product. They can start in Beijing and Shanghai and then come down to Sanya for golf and relaxation and then Hong Kong for shopping before flying back. I think it is a complete package.”
Agnes Cheong, Director of Sales & Marketing, GolfHub International, Singapore: “We joined IAGTO in 2008/9 to try to grow our market. This was my first time to AGTC and overall it was very good. It was very successful seeing all the people in one place. They organised it very well in terms of timing and hospitality, and the only thing I would very much appreciate would be to see the time sheet in advance. I am happy that I managed to speak to a Korean agent and an agent from Japan. I am going to open these two markets. For this trip, I wanted to start doing packages to new destinations. Besides Japan and Korea, I am looking at Dubai, Mauritius and also South Africa.”
Peter Ngion, Director, TravelGolf Leisure & Services, Singapore: “This is my first AGTC. It is very good, very useful. You get to meet different people from different parts of the world like Europe, Dubai, Thailand and Russia and it is so convenient. I am going to put a group together for Dubai, a corporate one with probably 80 people including wives and children. It was good because I was able to meet with the Dubai people and talk to them about the trip and I wanted some things to do. They were able to give me some ideas. My biggest market is to China and there were many agents. I met a few from Kunming, which was very good. I will be going to Indonesia for AGTC 2015 and I am looking forward to it.”
INFORMATION FOR THE EDITOR
Full details of the Convention, including photos and logos to download, are available at www.iagto.com/AGTC
Established in 1997, IAGTO is the global trade organisation of the golf tourism industry, and has over 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. It also runs the prestigious annual IAGTO Awards.
