Danang, Vietnam: The Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) Danang Conference can help to propel the coastal city in central Vietnam to becoming one of the world’s most popular golfing destinations.

Staged in conjunction with the BRG Group and Danang Tourism, the first edition of the AGIF Danang Conference concluded last week.

Held at the BRG Group-owned Sheraton Grand Hotel, the conference was part of a week-long golfing festival during which BRG Da Nang Golf Resort hosted a 54-hole event on the Asian Development Tour, the Asian Tour’s feeder circuit.

Speaking during the conference, Madame Nguyen Thi Nga, Founder and Chairman of the BRG Group, and senior Vietnamese Government officials Nguyen Trung Khanh and Nguyen Xuan Binh outlined their lofty ambitions for elevating Danang on the global golfing map.

Madame Nga said: “Although the Covid-19 pandemic affected many sectors and industries of Vietnam’s economy, including golf, I believe that these challenges cannot delay or deny the development of the golf industry in the future.

“Even during the period of interruption, we (BRG Group) continued to construct new golf courses, such as our BRG Rose Canyon Golf Resort in Hanam that is due to open in December. Furthermore, we have taken advantage of quieter periods to renovate our older courses to ensure we can offer top conditions as golfers return to more normality and international travel.

“Therefore, I truly believe Vietnamese businesses, and golf businesses in particular, will soon recover and see strong growth in the near future. And the AGIF Danang Conference along with the Asian Development Tour event that we are hosting will be our significant contribution to that process and part of our corporate efforts to support Danang tourism.”

Madame Nga’s views were echoed by Nguyen Trung Khanh, Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Nguyen Xuan Binh, Deputy Director, Danang Department of Tourism.

In his presentation on ‘Golf Development in Vietnam and the Role of the Danang as a Golf Destination’, Binh told delegates that the number of golf courses in Vietnam would rise from 78 currently to 200 within the next five years.

He said: “We’re committed to hosting the Danang Golf Festival annually for the next three years as part of our overall Danang Fantastic City tourism programme.

“We were excited to bring the Asian Development Tour to Danang for the first time and delighted that it was complemented by the AGIF Danang Conference, which brought golf experts and golf expertise to Danang.

“With the staging of the AGIF Danang Conference and the BRG Open Golf Championship we have helped to underline Danang’s growing tourism reputation in our bid to become the number one golfing destination in Asia.”

Madame Nga added: “Golf is now playing an important role in attracting high-end tourists because Vietnam is a very exciting destination with many new and interesting things still to discover. With ancillary services supporting golfers, the number of international visitors coming to Vietnam through golf will bring a larger source of income, which will help drive the socio-economy where golf courses are located.”

With an enticing combination of high-quality golf, stunning beaches and luxury resorts, Central Vietnam is widely regarded as the nation’s hub for golf tourism.

Chris Gray, the AGIF’s President, said: “According to golf tour operators there are signs that golf tourism into Vietnam is surging once more.

“It’s clear that the country in general and Danang in particular, have all the ingredients of the world’s finest golf tourism destinations.”

While inbound golf tourism is predicted to grow rapidly, so, too, is the indigenous golfing population, currently estimated at 70,000. Binh said that’s projected to increase more than four-fold to 300,000 by 2025.

Credence to those projections was provided by Nguyen Thai Duong, Vice Secretary General of the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) and Golf Specialist with the Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism.

During his presentation, he outlined the VGA’s development programmes aimed at increasing golfing participation across the country and staging more events at amateur and professional level.