Tap into the big spenders
GOLF tourism has become
a lucrative market for
many cities around
the world, and golfers on
holiday have proved to be big
spenders. According to reports,
golfers lay out 120% more
money per day on holiday than
general leisure tourists.
Barba Gaoganediwe, senior
manager: destination &
corporate communications at
the Gauteng Tourism Authority,
says travellers, especially
corporate travel planners,
are starting to take notice of
golfing trips as a great option
for more diverse groups of
travellers because of the
nature of golfing destinations,
which generally include a wide
range of activities that can be
appreciated by most travellers.
“Corporates in Gauteng are
taking advantage of the fact
that the province has the
third-largest concentration of
golf courses in the world, by
organising more meetings and
conferences that coincide with
major golfing tournaments,”
Barba said. He added that
meetings and conference
organisers often scheduled
their meetings to be able to
enjoy a round of golf once the
event had concluded.
“For Gauteng as a hub for
conferences and meetings,
golf has been one of the high
performing factors in the
province, and is one of the
main drivers of business and
leisure tourism,” he says.
The sport also enjoys
success further afield.
According to Pete Richardson,
PR and golf director at Legend
Golf and Safari Resort,
Limpopo is the best place
in South Africa to have a
truly African golf experience.
“Our resort was actually
created to take advantage
of the golf tourism market in
Limpopo – both domestic and
international. And Limpopo as
a province has a commitment
to further develop golf
tourism.”
Pete says his property
continues to grow by about
20% every year in visitor
numbers. “This number
has risen this year after our
major investment in a new
clubhouse. With 22 000
hectares of malaria-free Big
Five viewing plus our Wildlife
and Cultural Centre, we like to
think we are a global attraction
for those wanting the very best
of African wildlife.”
Jean Martins, country
manager of the Abu Dhabi
Tourism and Culture Authority,
says golf is just as important
in the country she markets.
“We have six golf courses in
the emirate, all with certified
PGA professionals on the
books. We also have the only
Links course in the Middle
East,” says Jean.
“The emirate plays host to
the annual Abu Dhabi HSBC
Golf Championship in January,
which sees the golfing greats
converge at the Abu Dhabi Golf
Club as part of the European
tour.”
Furthermore, a special
marketing, communications,
product packaging and
distribution platform – Golf
in Abu Dhabi – has been
designed to further increase
golf arrivals to the city. The
peak season for international
golfers to Abu Dhabi runs from
October to April.
“The initiative brings
together golf clubs, relevant
stakeholders and destination
management companies
to heighten the emirate’s
appeal in the specialised and
competitive golf marketplace,”
she says.
To encourage demand
from its international
golfing markets, Abu Dhabi
has created a dedicated
digital section for golf on
its official visitor’s website.
It provides comprehensive
golf information about the
emirate, its golf courses and
experiences and gives golfers
direct booking access.
More greens
to choose from
WITH golf evidently
becoming an important
driver of tourism in
various markets around
the world, there has been
an increase in the number
of quality golf courses
available for enthusiasts
to choose from while on
holiday
In 2014, Abu Dhabi’s
leading golf courses
hosted 139 175 rounds
of golf; of these, 20 757
were from international
overseas guests. In
2011, this figure stood at
just 6 674 international
golfing visitors. According
to Jean Martins, the
Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
and the Yas Links Abu
Dhabi are among the top
courses in the emirate
for golfers to enjoy.
“Ancillary add-ons such as
flights, hotels and on-theground
transportation
are available with these
championship-ready golf
courses through the Golf
in Abu Dhabi initiative,”
Jean says.
Meanwhile, golfers
visiting the Legend Golf
and Safari Resort will
benefit from the resort’s
partnership with the
Limpopo Golf and Safari
Route. “We know that
golf groups may want to
play four or five courses,
so in Limpopo we work
with Zebula Country Club,
Elements Private Golf
Reserve and Euphoria
Golf Estate and Hydro
to give our guests a
more diverse golfing
experience,” says Pete
Richardson.
To the point
Legend Golf and Safari Resort will host a big golf day and loads of
golf activities at its annual ‘The Legend Extreme Summer Showcase’
from December 11-13.
Beyond the game...
AS GOLF continues to draw
high volumes of travellers
to various regions, greater
emphasis is being placed
on ancillary activities that
provide entertainment beyond
the game itself. As Barba
Gaoganediwe explains, some
of the infrastructure built
in the build-up to the 2010
FIFA World Cup was designed
to provide the teams with
leisure activities – such as
spas and horse riding – to
take their minds of the monthlong
preparations before the
event kicked off. “As a result,
the bulk of relatively new
golf courses in Gauteng are
housed in estates or at golf
resorts and are not just golf
courses but multi-purpose
recreational lifestyle centres
that the rest of the group or
individuals could enjoy.”
Pete Richardson echoed this
sentiment, explaining that his
clubhouse caters for a wide
range of leisure guests as well
as golfers following the recent
refurbishment. “That is why
we aim to provide a range of
activities and facilities – so
that golfers and non-golfers
alike can enjoy them, thereby
creating a rounded leisure
experience,” he says. “With
swimming pools, tennis courts,
Segway tours, bush walks and
cycle trails, we have so much
for everyone to do.”
Meanwhile, both the Abu
Dhabi Golf Club and the Yas
Links Abu Dhabi include a
tour of the environmental
city – Masdar City – as well
as the opportunity to see
Ferrari World and spend the
day at Yas Waterworld or go
shopping at Yas Mall. “In
addition, the Saadiyat Beach
Golf Club includes the chance
to get cultural at Manarat al
Saadiyat,” Jean says.
To the point
Legend Golf and Safari Resort will host a big golf day and loads of
golf activities at its annual ‘The Legend Extreme Summer Showcase’
from December 11-13.
