Selling Travel April 19

40
golf
BA NA HILLS GOLF CLUB, DANANG, VIETNAM
TEETH OF THE DOG DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
“We have already had some
lovely agent bookings and
support seems to be
growing daily... we decided
on being trade-only as it
sets us apart”
Carolyn Park, Tee The World
just about playing golf, and that agents
often find it difficult building a package to
include golf and non-golf activities.
“Clients are not going to travel to
destinations further afield purely for golf,”
she adds. “For example, South Africa, New
Zealand and Australia have some wonderful
courses that can be included into a tailored
itinerary which caters for other interests
and non-golfers alike. Many people travel
with non-golfers and it is really easy to
facilitate something that suits everyone.”
The operator, which is a member of
IAGTO, is partnering with flight consolidator
and ATOL-holder Aviate. Its website includes
helpful questions for agents to ask clients,
and it also explains golf jargon.
Park says most golfers want to travel
outside of the UK summer, so winter-sun
destinations such as the Arabian Gulf are
popular. She also highlights Portugal’s
Lisbon Coast area for its combination of
golf, culture and history.
In its latest annual Golf Tourism Report,
IAGTO reports that sales through golf tour
operators worldwide were up 3.2% in 2018
– the seventh consecutive year of growth.
Trends for 2019 include strong demand
for Northern Ireland, which hosts this year’s
Open Championship at Royal Portrush in
July, Vietnam consolidating gains made in
2018, and interest growing fast in Japan.
Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco are also
resurgent – Marrakech hosts the annual
International Golf Travel Market in October.
Among operators offering commission is
Elegant Resorts (elegantresorts.co.uk). Head of
Product and Commercial, Matt Viemmiks,
says short-haul European golf breaks
remain popular thanks to their convenience,
with resorts including Terre Blanche in
Provence, the Costa del Sol’s Finca Cortesin
and Costa Navarino in Greece among those
‘ticking the box’. Further afield, he highlights
the Dominican Republic, Mexico’s Mayakoba
resort complex, Scottsdale, Vietnam’s
Danang area and resorts including South
Africa’s Fancourt, Sandy Lane in Barbados,
and New Zealand duo Kauri Cliffs and Cape
Kidnappers.
Specialist operator A Golfing Experience
(agolfingexperience.co.uk) celebrates its 30th
anniversary this year. Director Steve Frewin
says 80% of requests are to Spain, Portugal,
France or Turkey. He suggests asking
what kind of holiday clients want, such as
whether it is with a partner, with couples
or with a group of guys or girls, how many
rounds of golf are needed and a budget,
as tee time and hotel costs vary from
weekdays to weekends.
“Agents have a great opportunity to create
an income stream from golf,” says Frewin.
“Having a relationship with your local club
is a way to build a relationship with golfers
and gain information about booking habits.
Gary Boyer, head of purchasing at Classic
Collection (classic-collection.co.uk), believes
specialising in golf makes agents a ‘go to’
source for clients. He says: “Golfers tend
to be well-heeled individuals, golf holiday
bookings tend to be high-value group
bookings and golfers are a community
where word of mouth recommendation can
be your finest marketing tool.
“Golfing holidays have a degree of
complication: clubs, tee-off times, transfers,
group dinners and awards. There’s an
opportunity to provide real service that pays
dividends in terms of repeat business.
WE-KO-PA GOLF CLUB, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
MONTE REI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, PORTUGAL
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