Francisco Javier Fernández, minister for tourism and sport in the Junta de Andalucía (regional government), welcomes us at his office in the Andalucian Parliament in Sevilla, to talk about golf as a key aspect of tourism and its importance as an economic resource for the region. Golf is much more than a sport in Andalucía: it is a flourishing tourist industry that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year from throughout Europe, who travel to these lands in search of sunny and warm weather at a time when, back home, it is often impossible to play golf.

How is golf tourism progressing this year?

It is going very well and furthermore, although it seems unlikely bearing in mind the weather we had, Christmas and January were also very good. The figures are very positive and we are still waiting to publish our new study. The one we are currently referring to is for 2016, which documented more than half a million tourists coming to Andalucía to play golf.

With around 120 golf courses in Andalucía, more or less one-quarter of the total in Spain, would it be fair to say that a ceiling has been reached in the number of facilities?

No, I believe they can still grow, but this growth has to be quality-based; in other words, we have to offer golf courses that distinguish us from other areas, ones that make us unique. I think the old model, in which a golf course was essentially an excuse to launch another business, no longer has its place in the sector, and I believe that in Andalucía we do have the capacity to grow and even make golf more of an attraction in those areas that require further development in this respect.

What areas are you referring to?

I think we need to remain committed to the Huelva coast, and Almería also has excellent potential.

What promotional initiatives are being undertaken by your ministry in order to increase the number of golf tourists traveling to Andalucía?

Apart from the traditional ones at specialist and other fairs, we have re-focused Andalucía’s promotional policy because our objective is for people elsewhere to see as much golf as possible played here. I think the important thing is to be featured on numerous television screens and to be present in many homes, when other countries are suffering from bad weather and enduring a climate that does not always favour playing golf; and to show people that in Andalucía, in October or February, you can play golf in short sleeves without any problem.

We had moved on from a brand policy for Andalucía linked to golf to really showcasing the excellence of our courses, and that is why we wanted to bring tournaments here. We wanted the Spanish Women’s Open to be played here so that people could see how, at the beginning of autumn, courses had not suffered from the summer heat, and were still in a perfect state. That is our commitment: to attract new tournaments, to boost tournaments that were already being held here, and also to showcase some courses that are different: for example, Almería’s firm commitment in relation to Desert Springs (the Arizona desert-style course).

 

There is often talk about the need for close collaboration between public administrations and the private sector. Is there such cooperation between the ministry of tourism and companies in the sector to promote golf tourism?

In that respect I should praise the role of the Royal Andalucian Golf Federation, which acts as something of a “transmission belt”. However, in addition to connections that are linked to tournaments, there is also a good relationship between the various golf courses and the ministry, when attending fairs or having a presence abroad. We hugely appreciate that collaboration with golf courses, because they always indicate a strong desire to be present, albeit some with very different philosophies. Some are beholden to their members while others have a more commercial vision of their club, but in the end I believe it is a good partnership and I am happy with the relationship.

Golf is now a strategic tourist segment. Do you think that Andalucian society in general appreciates the importance of golf for the region’s economy?

Yes, I believe that people increasingly understand the importance it has as a tourist attraction, as a resource that encourages half a million tourists to visit the region, mainly attracted by golf but also discovering many other appealing leisure options.

Are the old prejudices that golf is a sport for the rich being diminished?

Little by little this is being achieved. The effort that is being made by the administrations to provide public courses, the El Toyo golf academy that we have in Almeria, where access to golf is offered in a convenient way and is also affordable for any budget… these are having an effect in easing prejudices about golf. When you see how much it costs to buy the boots that Cristiano Ronaldo uses to play football, you realise it is not expensive to play golf.

As part of the Junta’s commitment to sponsoring major tournaments, the Andalucía Valderrama Masters is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown. How would you evaluate the 2017 edition?

In a sporting sense, we enjoyed it a lot, although we would have liked it if Jon Rahm had made the cut, and we were very satisfied with the promotional aspects. Andalucía’s brand name associated with the excellence and history of a course like Valderrama – and its key ongoing role in highlighting the region’s excellent golfing options – was broadcast throughout the world and this has strengthened the notion that we were right in supporting the tournament.

Do you have an estimate of how many spectators might have watched the tournament on TV?

The company that retransmitted it gave us a figure of 41 million homes. To this we can also add the reach of the news spread that it generated, and both specialist and general news bulletins.

Is it therefore assured that sponsorship of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters is a profitable investment?

Yes, it is profitable for the minutes that the Andalucía Valderrama Masters was shown on TV, for its presence in the various media, in the specialist magazines... All this generated a return in advertising, promoting the image of Andalucía, which made it an extremely profitable investment. In addition, it is an investment that benefits all of Andalucía because people could see that here you can play golf at the end of October and in short sleeves, the same as how important it was when people observed during the Davis Cup match between England and Spain (in Marbella) that spectators were in short sleeves in February. That is an intangible benefit, but it still greatly boosts and enhances the Andalucian brand.