Golfers from Sweden, the UK and France top the list of global nationalities who have visited PGA Catalunya Resort during 2011, according to the findings of a survey.
Visitors from the three countries have together taken more than half of the golfing breaks at the acclaimed Spanish venue, whose championship Stadium course was recently ranked at 98 in the influential Golf World Top 100 Courses in the World.
Together they constitute 39% of the 68% of tourists from across the world who have enjoyed a memorable stay at PGA Catalunya Resort during the first half of 2011.
Sweden tops the list at 15% with the UK and France each providing 12% of tourists to the Catalan destination. The six other European countries with the most visitors are Germany(5%), Norway (4%), Ireland, Holland and Denmark (3% each) and Finland (2%); visitors from other parts of the world together account for 9%.
Spanish residents, unsurprisingly, have provided almost a third (32%) of the business for PGA Catalunya Resort.
The booming popularity of low-cost airline flights from hubs across continental Europe has opened up the region for travellers from all countries – with PGA Catalunya Resort conveniently located within easy driving distance of Girona-Costa Brava and Barcelona International airports.
In addition, the historic city of Girona and the wider Costa Brava together offers visiting golfers beautiful weather and a wealth of authentic Catalan attractions – including gastronomy, with the picturesque coastal region home to more than 20 Michelin-star restaurants.
In a list of the top five destinations visited by UK tourists so far this year, revealed by budget airline easyJet, Spanish resorts claimed three of the places with Costa Brava second in the Iberian country only to the traditional holiday favourite of Costa del Sol.
Explaining why PGA Catalunya Resort has proven particularly popular with golfers fromSweden, the UK and France, Miguel Girbes, Golf Manager at PGA Catalunya Resort, said: “In previous years our visitor base was half Spanish and half international. Now the latter has risen to 70% as we have become a more ‘international’ resort, mainly due to the increased awareness created by the Top 100 rankings and our commercial efforts to drive up visitor numbers across the markets of continental Europe.”
He added: “It is becoming ever more apparent that we have much to offer – two outstanding championship golf courses and world-class training facilities all complemented by our luxury hotel. Beyond our boundaries are the many wonderful attractions that offer tourists an authentic taste of Catalonia– including, of course, our many top-quality restaurants.”
PGA Catalunya Resort www.pgacatalunya.com