EASTGREENS 2006 which took place in Karlovy Vary, at the heart of the prime golf region in the Czech Republic with the longest golf tradition, focused on the design, operation, and marketing of golf courses, and was designed for potential investors, operators of golf courses and representatives of state and public administration who specialise in the development of golf and tourism.
“The main impulse for organizing such a conference was the necessity to support golf facility developments in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Mr. Libor Jirà¡sek, director of the conference, which was attended by 86 accredited participants and many guests from six European countries (Czech Rep., Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Austria, and Italy).
“The question is not only where to build a course and what parameters it should have. It is also the development of the surrounding infrastructure and the contribution of such resorts to the further development of tourism in the whole region. Consequently new jobs can be created,” said the president of Karlovy Vary Region, Mr. Josef Pavel.
The main partners of the conference were Karlovy Vary Region, CzechTourism, and the City of Karlovy Vary with support also provided by Mrs. Marie Jehličkovà¡, the president of Czech Golf Travel Association; Mr. Roman Vacho, chairman of regional section of National Federation of Hotels and Restaurants; Mr. Rainer Preissmann, a member of the council of European Institute of Golf Course Architects and Mr. ArnoÅ¡t Wagner, publisher of the specialist magazine ‘Development News’.
Throughout the conference the emphasis was upon making opportunities for sporting activities, the creation of new jobs and the impact of golf upon the growth of tourism. The state agency Czech Tourism has big plans to promote the Czech Republic as a golf destination and the Czech Golf Travel Association, the organization supporting incoming golf tourism to the Czech Republic, is very active in establishing cooperation with foreign tour operators.
“The conference EASTGREENS 2006 was successful from the viewpoint of quality, expertise and reputation of lecturers and contents of their lectures as well as from the viewpoint of participation, interest of media and organizations. We were delighted by plentiful participation by representatives of municipal governments, investment and developer organizations,” evaluated Mr. Libor Jirà¡sek and then he emphasized, “The most important fact is that it was possible to create a platform for participants of the investment process on the regional level. Investor, developer, tour operator and municipal government can now meet within a common interest.”
EASTGREENS 2006 www.eastgreens.cz
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