Andalusia has been chosen as ‘European Golf Destination of the Year’ at the 2017 Awards Gala granted by the International Association of Golf Operators (IAGTO). This award, which collected in Palma de Mallorca the Minister of Tourism and Sport, Francisco Javier Fernández, recognizes the work of the community in the promotion and marketing of the segment, and its collaboration with specialized companies.
The counselor has valued that the award is the most obvious proof of the “quality and excellence” of the Andalusian golf offer. In addition, he stressed that the destination also stands out for the “attractive and diverse complementary offer that adapts to virtually all tastes and interests of the visitor,” which, as he pointed out, allows to place Andalusia as “one of the most complete and competitive destinations in the world”.
The award is given annually by IAGTO to nominated golf destinations and resorts that offer the best customer experiences based on criteria related to customer satisfaction, quality of courses and accommodations, value for money, professional conduct of suppliers, support of the local tourism industry and availability of course outings.
The professional association grants these awards within the framework of the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), which this year was held in Palma de Mallorca, and in each edition five destinations are recognized, corresponding to five world regions, namely North America, the Caribbean and Latin America, Europe, Africa-Gulf Countries and India-Oceania and Asia-Australasia.
Before receiving the award, Fernandez visited the IGTM fair -the main international event of the sector- and held a meeting with representatives of the delegation of 45 Andalusian businessmen and entities present (hotels, resorts, golf clubs and courses, agencies and provincial boards), who expressed their satisfaction with the volume of contacts made at the event.
The IGTM fair, which has been held in Andalusia three times, this year reached a record number of participation, with 450 exhibitors and 380 specialized tour operators. The delegation of the community held in this event various business contacts with representatives of the domestic market demand and issuers such as the UK, Germany and Nordic countries, among others.
Strategic segment
Andalusia is currently one of the main golf tourism destinations in continental Europe. With more than a hundred golf courses spread throughout the territory, it is a national leader in facilities, and this segment is one of the most important for the tourism industry in the region.
The destination received in 2015 a total of 480,000 tourists with golf as their main motivation, up 4.9% compared to 2014. The traveler in this segment has a profile of special interest for the community, due to its high average stay of 11.4 days and its average daily expenditure, which reached 129.68 euros, about 63 euros more than the average, with an increase of almost 25 euros over the previous year.
Founded in 1997, IAGTO currently has 2,495 members from 96 countries, including 647 specialized tour operators from 61 countries, who are estimated to control the marketing of nearly 87% of the world’s golf vacation packages.
{gallery}IGTM 2016{/gallery}
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