Golf tournaments and tourism industry go hand in hand
Golf, which has been around for decades and has entertained its followers by staging amazing tournaments across the world, is rapidly becoming a way for countries to promote tourism and reel in much-needed
money.
Over the past few years, the sport has expanded its influence from its long-time bastion—the United States—to countries like China, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Ireland and Wales.
Although a dramatic rise in golf tourism has been witnessed in the recent past, the sport has a long history of catering to travellers who travel across the world in the hope of relieving their mind from distress
and fatigue, and people willing to spend their vacations on eye-catching spots.
According to a research conducted by experts, the golf tourism industry is worth over $20 billion — something that puts the sport in the limelight and prompts countries to focus more on promoting the sport.
Centre of Economic Excellence (CoEE) Endowed Chair, Simon Hudson, wrote in his book titled Golf Tourism: “Golf tourism falls under the umbrella of sport tourism, one of the fastest growth areas in the tourism
industry. Although sport tourism is a relatively new concept in contemporary vernacular, its scope of activity is far from a recent phenomenon”.
“The notion of people travelling to participate in and watch sport dates back to the ancient Olympic Games, and the practice of stimulating tourism through sport has existed for over a century. Within the last
few decades however, destinations have begun to recognize the significant potential of sport tourism, and they are now aggressively pursuing this attractive market niche”.
Golf attracts people of all walks of life, and this is one of the salient features that make golf one of the best sports in the world. Experts say that there are different categories of golf tourism, as there
are some people who like to spend time on the course as part of their leisure routine. Moreover, there are some who visit courses to watch tournaments — both pro and amateur.
Another important factor is business. As the world economies are shrinking due to multiple crisis, several businesses in the developed countries have found a way to increase their revenues through sponsoring
golf tournaments and prominent players.
In an effort to tackle the growing number of golf-related tourism, hundreds of resorts and vocational spots have sprung up lately. These resorts offer attractive tourism packages to travellers, with a chance
to spend their time on golf courses, watching different matches.
Using golf tournaments to promote tourism industry is something many countries have relied upon for several years. The recent example of this is the Wales Assembly Government using the Ryder Cup, one of the
most prestigious tournaments in men’s golf, to promote tourism in the country.
The Ryder Cup 2010 was held at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales, and it reportedly attracted hundreds of tourists from across the globe. Since the tournament is best known for featuring prominent PGA
(Professional Golf Association) contenders, people flocked to the course, boosting revenues for various businesses in the country.
Experts said that the move from the Welsh Assembly Government put the Wales in the headlines and other neighbouring countries such as England, Ireland and Scotland missed out on a substantial chunk of tourists
who helped the Welsh authorities make large sums.
As part of its strategy, the Welsh Assembly Government set aside enough cash to build more golfing facilities and other sport-related projects.
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