Italy to showcase 410 facilities at its first IGTM

ITALY will demonstrate to golf suppliers, buyers, visitors and media attending this year’s International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) why it is among the top 10 golf destinations considered most important by International Association of Golf Tour Operators.

The country boasts 410 golfing facilities, spread across 19 of Italy’s 20 regions, with the largest concentration located in the north of the country, especially in the Lombardy region, which counts 69 golfing venues.

Having been designed by some of the industry’s leading architects, each golf course offers varying experiences and landscapes to suit golfers of all playing abilities, and will be showcased during the 17th edition of IGTM at Villa Erba Exhibition and Conference Centre, on the banks of Lake Como, from October 27 to 30, 2014.

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

Unlike many other European destinations, little is known of our golfing history,” commented Franco Chimenti, president of the Italian Golf Federation. “Our heritage spans over a century, to 1903, when Italy’s first course, Circolo del Golf di Roma Acquasanta, was opened in the country’s capital.

In a 2013 study undertaken by the Ministry of Regional Affairs for Tourism and Sport, Italy was found to attract only 7 per cent of Europe’s overall golf tourism industry, which is worth €3.6 million ($4.8 million).

Commenting on the findings of the research Chimenti said: “On the golf tourism side, there is still a huge, untapped potential.

“Better known for its art, culture, fashion, food and wine – all increasingly essential elements of any golf break – Italy offers a great variety of memorable golfing experiences.

“Visitors can play close to an ancient Roman aqueduct at Roma Acquasanta; enjoying spectacular views of the Tyrrhenian sea off the coast of Sardinia at Il Pevero; in the shadow of Mount Etna, at Sicily’s Il Picciolo, or at the foot of the Mont Blanc glacier in the Alps, at Courmayeur.”

HERITAGE GOLF

The Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club, which opened in 1907 on the hills overlooking the magnificent Lake Como, is the country’s second oldest club. It is a true golfing gem that guards a precious golf library of 1,220 original, first-edition books.

“This is the largest existing collection of valuable golf publications, described as ‘second to none’ by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, and worthy of a visit during this year’s IGTM,” Mauro Parolini, councillor for commerce, tourism and tertiary, for Regione Lombardia.

Peter Grimster, IGTM exhibition manager, added: “Over the past year or so, there has been a concerted drive by Italy’s main golfing bodies, governmental departments and associations, as well as some commercial organisations to put the country on the golfing map.

“Used to receiving over 50 million visitors per year, Italy has all the necessary infrastructure and logistics in place, and offers a wide range of facilities, activities and experiences – so adding golf to the mix would help exploit what could be an immense potential and grow the country’s golf tourism.”

Among the main actors, together with Villa Erba, are Regione Lombardia and the Provinces of Como and Lecco, with the Como Chamber of Commerce, grouped under the brand Lake Como; the Italian Golf Federation, and Como Imprenditori Alberghieri (CIA), a consortium of 16 hotels representing a long-standing tradition and high quality standards.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

The 17th edition of IGTM will also be the first time that England’s clubs will come together in a united English pavilion and exhibit under Golf Tourism England. The event will also see continued support from last year’s host destination, Catalonia, as well as a strong representation from across Spain, including Andalucía, Valencia, Murcia and the Balearic and Canary Islands.

Morocco will increase its presence with over 24 suppliers from the country, growing its reputation as an accessible, affordable, all-year-round destination, with top quality courses and a long-standing golfing tradition which dates back almost a century, when Royal Tangiers Golf Club was formed in 1917. 

After a two-year absence, the Ministry of Tourism for Indonesia and Jakarta City will return to IGTM, bolstering the show’s Far-Eastern representation, which also includes a strong presence from Thailand and Vietnam.