Italy – the sleeping giant of European golf – is to launch its greatest ever co-ordinated golf tourism initiative this summer under the Italy Golf & More brand.
Revered throughout the world for its outstanding history, culture and gastronomy, Italy is also home to no fewer than 141 18-hole golf courses – including a collection of Europe’s finest – and golfers in the UK and Ireland are set to receive unprecedented exposure to the country’s golfing allure as a planned campaign of activation is rolled out over the coming months.
Italy Golf & More is a collaboration between private sector partner regions, the Italian Golf Federation and the Ministry of Tourism (MIBACT), who have come together to embark on a seven-figure investment to increase awareness, and future golf tourism traffic, from key European markets to Italy.
The partner regions are made up of Lombardy, Piedmont, Lazio, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia and Sicily – who together boast 112 of Italy’s golf courses – with 11 further regions falling under the investment of the Italian Golf Federation.
To aid its push into the UK & Irish markets, Italy Golf & More has appointed market-leading marcomms agency The Azalea Group to oversee a concentrated long-term activation campaign which will engage golfers across print, digital, social and event channels in 2016 and beyond.
Italy Golf & More will commence its push with a strong presence at this month’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at the K Club from May 18-22, followed by the 2016 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth a week later.
Bruno Bertero, project co-ordinator for Italy Golf & More, said: “Italy is a country full of wonderful and different golf courses, a fact that is often overlooked when golfers are looking to book a golf break.
“We are very proud of the golf product we have to offer which, combined with the many tourist attractions available, great flight access and comparatively low green fees, makes us a match for any of the more traditional European golf destinations.
“These are very exciting times for Italian golf, with the Ryder Cup due to take place here in 2022, and this new collaboration gives us a fantastic opportunity to showcase the country to golfers in the UK and Ireland, two of the most important golf tourism markets in Europe.”
With 20 airports in the UK now operating regular flights to all over Italy, the country has never been so accessible, while its warm climate and mixture of mouth-watering cuisine, fine wines, spas, history, culture and beaches make it the perfect location for a golf break.
Italy Golf & More www.italygolfandmore.com