Sergio Sells the Sizzle
The new Masters champion teams with Anirban Lahiri to headline a new Dubai golf tourism initiative
The Masters champion is enlisted to promote Dubai. by kent gray
Dubai’s world-class golf offering will eventually sell itself but it certainly doesn’t hurt having a couple of superstars to get the ball rolling.
First it was Tiger Woods serving as the honourary starter for Falcon Golf, hitting balls from the foot of the Burj Al Arab to unveil the new governmentbacked entity during February’s Desert Classic. Now Sergio Garcia has lent his suddenly major name to launch the body’s new online home.
The newly minted Masters champion has teamed up with Indian No.1 Anirban Lahiri to headline the content on golfindubai.com, a long overdue one-stop shop for golf tourism in the emirate.
Falcon Golf engaged Garcia and Lahiri in a friendly long drive duel at Skydive Dubai during the Desert Classic. If they couldn’t believe their luck when the Spaniard went on to win the “major of the Middle East” at Emirates Golf Club, imagine the delight when Garcia edged Justin Rose in an epic Sunday showdown at Augusta National last month.
In conjunction with key local stakeholders including clubs, tournament sponsors, Dubai Sports Council, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and the Emirates Golf Federation, golfindubai.com centralises information for tourists and tour operators.
Said His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of DTCM: “Dubai is one of the most esteemed golf locations in the world and has much to offer beyond the courses, from incredible hotels and pristine beaches, as well as world-class attractions for all ages, such as Dubai Mall, the Burj Khalifa and amazing water and theme parks,” he said.
“With more courses in the pipeline to complement the world-class choices already available, and initiatives such as this new website, there is huge potential for the sport to help us hit our target of 20 million visitors by 2020.”
The website is to be officially launched on May 8 at the Asia Golf Tourism Convention in Danang, Vietnam. A VIP trip to Dubai, including a start in the 2018 Omega Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am, has been teed up to lure traffic to the new site.