Golf Tourism England (GTE) will be in full attendance at this years’ International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) alongside stakeholders from the nation’s golf sector. The association, which was one of a number of projects to receive funding from the £40 million Discover England Fund, has made significant strides in advancing its cluster strategy to enhance the appeal of England’s golf amongst trade and consumers, and will utilise IGTM as a key platform to introduce the new GTE proposition to industry stakeholders and service providers.
“The IGTM will provide us with the platform to showcase the diversity of the nation’s golf product, simultaneously demonstrating the functionality for tour operators who will have the ability to access key suppliers and easily package-up experiences,” commented Andrew Cooke, Golf Tourism England CEO. “Creating these ‘clusters’, which deliver a variety of world-class golfing experiences, as part of our wider strategy is giving us a distinct edge when promoting England’s appeal as a golf destination.
“These clusters, along with the renowned golf resorts which already offer world-class on and off-course experiences in England, such as The Belfry and Goodwood, will give England as complete a golf offering as anywhere in the world,” continued Cooke. “It isn’t just the golf that we are connected to, but the wider England experience of entertainment, culture and leisure, which will widen our appeal.”
GTE will be joined by representatives from some of the key clusters, including Yorkshire, Kent’s Championship Links, Surrey Heathland, England’s Golf Coast and Atlantic Links, who will be on hand to share specifics on contracting details, price points and itineraries. The IGTM, which takes place in Mallorca from November 14th – 17th is part of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators framework, a membership body with a network of the leading dedicated golf tour operators.
GTE has set out to grow the golf tourism impact through a series of creative initiatives, which essentially aim to put England’s golf product front of mind with golf travelers in key feeder markets. The association is made up of a series of golf stakeholders; golf courses, resorts, hotels and tourism operators who collaborate across sales and marketing endeavors to grow its market share.