In KPMG’s latest study, “Country Snapshot” for Spain, KPMG provides an overview of the current supply and demand trends across the country, offers a glance into recent tourism characteristics, examines the golf market in Costa de Sol and lends a future outlook for the game in Spain, one of today’s most successful golf tourism destinations in Europe.
The report reveals that the number of golfers in Spain decreased between 2010 and 2017 by 18%. However, demand showed only a 0.5% decline in 2017, which means the stabilisation of the Spanish golf market has begun. In terms of supply, the past 8 years were stable with no significant change in the number of courses.
The most active golf travellers still come from the more affluent nations with long-standing golfing traditions, i.e. Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, and Scandinavia. Furthermore, the most preferred touristic golf facilities are located on the coastline in the region of Andalucía, Murcia, C. Valenciana and Cataluña, and on the Islas Baleares. Spain’s famous “Costa del Golf” represents one of the biggest golf clusters in Europe and hosts some of the most recognized and prestigious venues in Europe.
Nowadays, the country is enhancing its efforts into bringing golf participation back to its previous levels. Introducing the sport to juniors is one of the initiatives aiming to ensure that future generations will take up golf. Moreover on global scene, golf is receiving greater visibility in the country thanks to the successful performance of several Spanish professional players on the tours in recent years.
Commenting on the report, Andrea Sartori, KPMG’s Global Head of Sport, said: “I would like to express our appreciation to Mrs. Lynn Mitchell (Costa del Sol Tourist Board), Mr. Gonzaga Escauriaza (RFEG) and Mr. Vicente Rubio (Finca Cortesin) for the interviews and the valuable contributions.”
Together with other industry research materials, Country Snapshot – Spain is available for download on www.golfbenchmark.com.
Top picture: Finca Cortesin