IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) has announced the launch of its first Golf Tourism Convention designed specifically for the golf destinations of Asia, the Pacific and Australasia. The first IAGTO Asia Golf Tourism Convention will take place from 22-25 April 2012 at The Mines Resort & Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur.
IAGTO’s President, Peter Walton, said: “IAGTO’s focus is very much on Asia and in April 2012 we will be taking some 150 golf tour operators from around the world, all selling Asian golf destinations, to meet with 150 golf resorts, golf clubs, hotels, receptive operators, tourist boards and other golf tourism suppliers from the Asian, Indian, Pacific and Australasian regions. It will be by far the biggest and most important golf tourism business event that has ever taken place in Asia.”
Over the main two days of the Convention, delegates will be able to have 12 hours of face to face meetings include two hours of ‘speed-dating’ where the suppliers will be able to introduce themselves to all the golf tour operators. Peter Walton added: “Unlike virtually any other tourism event, we keep the ratio of buyers to suppliers at close to 1:1 so there is very little ‘dead’ time with opportunities to discuss potential business opportunities all the time.”
IAGTO has 377 golf tour operator members in 57 countries controlling over 80% of golf holiday packages sold worldwide with annual sales of more than US$1 billion. 200 of these operators in 43 countries sell Asian golf destinations. The number and quality of buyers attending this event is the key to its success. Peter Walton said “With our network of representatives in Japan, Korea and Malaysia (covering SE Asia) and our own office in China, we are identifying the best golf tour operators throughout Asia and by April next year we expect to have at least 250 golf tour operator members selling Asia with a very strong membership in all key Asian markets.”
The host sponsor of the Golf Tourism Convention is The Mines Resort and Golf Club, one of Asia’s best known golf resorts set within the 1000 acre Mines Wellness City complex. The resort was founded through the vision of Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew who joined forces with legendary architect, Robert Trent Jones Jr to transform what was once the world’s largest open-cast tin mine into one of the world’s leading golf resorts. The Mines Resort & Golf Club is the official host venue of CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia which is the first US PGA Tour sanctioned event to be held in South east Asia for a seven consecutive years. The MINES has also hosted the Carlsberg Malaysian Open 2003, World Cup Golf 1999, Women’s World Cup Golf 2000 and many other world class events.
Tourism Malaysia is also a principal sponsor of the Convention and will be helping the attending golf tour operators get to know Malaysia’s wonderful variety of golf destinations, fromKuala Lumpur itself to Saba and Sarawak in Borneo; and from Johor in the south to the islands of Langkawi andPenang.
IAGTO helped to establish the Malaysia Golf Tourism Association (MGTA) early in 2011. The IAGTO Asia Golf Tourism Convention is fully supported by the MGTA and will be the biggest golf tourism event for the MGTA in 2012.
Full details of the Convention are available at www.iagto.com/AGTC