Golfbreaks.com has enjoyed another successful year, with the Windsor-based company reporting tremendous double-digit growth for 2012.
Europe’s largest golf tour operator grew by an impressive 10% and saw turnover top £35million despite difficult trading conditions in the middle of the year that saw the nation gripped by the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, the European Football Championships and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The UK market remained very strong, with Ryder Cup venues such as the Belfry, Celtic Manor and Gleneagles proving perennially popular with customers. But as the UK endured the wettest summer on record, it was foreign golf breaks that really boosted results, with Europe growing by 16% and theRest-of-the-World business recording an astonishing 63% increase thanks to strong performances from Turkey and Morocco.
This success was also reflected in other areas of the business. Despite gloomy predictions about the state of the domestic game and lower participation rates, the company’s online tee-time booking service, Teeofftimes.co.uk, posted growth of more than 25%, booking an incredible 225,000 rounds. Meanwhile, in only its secondfull year of trading, BookaSpa.com doubled its sales, sending more than 15,000 clients on relaxing UK spa days and breaks.
Andrew Stanley, Chief Executive of Golfbreaks.com, commented: “There’s no getting away from the fact that it’s been a tough year, with poor weather and a number of other distractions affecting sales, but overall we are very pleased with the growth the company has achieved across all three brands.
“We’re very excited about 2013, in particular regarding our partnership with american golf, which unites two like-minded,customer-orientated companies. With our 15th birthday to celebrate, some ambitious expansion plans to announce and a raft of new destinations for 2013 there’s plenty of New-Year cheer for Golfbreaks.com.”
Success on the growth front was also matched by the winning of a number of important awards. In July the company achieved the Investors in People Gold Standard, which recognises excellence in business practice and people development. It is awarded to less than 3% of businesses and places Golfbreaks.com in elite company. The company was also named Best Owner-Managed Business in the ThamesValley region by respected publication, The Business Magazine.
Most recently, Golfbreaks.com was named International Golf Tour Operator of the Year at the prestigious Golf Tourism Scotland awards. Having opened a dedicated Scottish office in 2011 and signed a partnership agreement with the Scottish Golf Union, the company’s commitment to the Home of Golf has seen tremendous growth, which looks set to continue in 2013.
After an epic Summer of Sport that saw Golfbreaks.com run a free-golf promotion aimed at getting the nation golfing, it was also fitting that another company milestone was hit during the epic Ryder Cup. On Friday September 28thmore than 3,000 golfers were booked as Poulter and Co battled away in Medinah, making it officially the company’s best-ever day.