Teeing off golf tourism in Sept
Rajan Sehgal, President, India Golf Tourism Association, speaks to about the three-day CII Asia Golf Expo slated for 20-22 September at Ashok Hotel.
Over
the past five years, the Asia Golf Industry Show has become one of the premier consumer golf expos in the country, attended by golf course proprietors and manufacturers of machines and products associated with the sport. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is set to play a key role in the development of the Indian golf industry as it takes over the Asia Golf Industry Show this year. The theme this year is ‘Growing the Business of Golf’.
In its sixth edition, the show will be held this year from September 20-22, 2013 at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi. The event will provide a platform for golf course makers and maintenance equipment manufacturers to showcase the latest technology. This event is being supported by Asian Golf Course Owners Association, which has its headquarters in Singapore, The Indian Golf Union, The Professional Golf Tour of India, Golf Course Superintendents and Managers Association of India and Indian Golf Travel Association. IGTA will be organising a seminar on how to promote golf tourism, followed by a friendly tournament. “Many tour operators are interested in promoting golf tourism in the country. The Ministry of Tourism needs to market India as a golf destination just as heritage tourism is being promoted, because golfers are high-value tourists,” says Sehgal.
“We have around 220 golf courses in India, out of which 45 are designer courses bearing signatures of such great names such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones Jr. The weather is playable in some golf courses throughout the year. We have excellent caddies, health spas and resorts in the clubs. If we bring 20 golf tourists to India, they’d spend more money than 40-50 average tourists,” says Sehgal. The show would also work as a catalyst in creating new golf infrastructure and facilities, thereby increasing the demand of products and services. Conferences to exchange ideas and best practices for further development of the golf and related industry would be held in all the subjects with experts and some of the most distinguished speakers from around the world sharing their experiences. Sports and Leisure Worldwide (SLW) is the knowledge partner for the show. Golf course and resort owners, architects, designers, managers, maintenance engineers, contractors, and other related professionals are expected to attend this event from India and all across Asia.
The Ministry of Tourism needs to market India as a golf destination just as heritage tourism is being promoted