‘Complete’ Abu Dhabi can expect Asian golf tourism surge
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Global golf tourism industry experts believe Abu Dhabi’s ‘complete’ destination credentials will cement it as a lucrative leisure segment – particularly for Asian golfers – in coming years.
The figures show Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Yas Links recorded quarterly overseas rounds returns during Q1 this year, with 9,215 overseas rounds ensuring 89% growth on the comparative three-month period last year.
Kevin Wang, vice general manager, Grand Tours in China said: “These word-of-mouth endorsements are making Abu Dhabi an even easier sell for us and I expect the emirate’s popularity to continue rising. I foresee sending ever-larger volumes of Asian golf travellers to Abu Dhabi over coming seasons.”
According to the annual KPMG Golf Travel Insights Study, the UAE capital is muscling increased revenue from a global industry worth US$2 billion in 2012. Spearheading the emirate’s drive is Golf in Abu Dhabi – an initiative designed to execute the emirate’s golf tourism strategy, maximise revenue returns for related stakeholders and position Abu Dhabi in the minds of potential golf customers from primary source markets such as the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, China, Korea and Japan.
With some 2,105 registered operators from 91 countries, IAGTO’s members control over 85% of all golf holiday packages sold worldwide and generate annual turnover well in excess of more than US US$1.6 billion. Vitally, Abu Dhabi’s progress has caught the attention of Peter Walton, IAGTO’s chief executive.