ASIAN GOLF INDUSTRY FEDERATION

Bumper Year Ahead for Golf Tourism in Asia

Golfasian
Inbound golf tourism to Asia has recovered rapidly following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bangkok, Thailand: Golf tourism is shaping up for a bumper year in Asia, according to Mark Siegel, Chief Executive Officer of Golfasian, a pre-eminent golf tour operator in the region.

With travellers keen to return to Asia following the lifting of most Covid-19 restrictions, and airlines with full planes, there is light at the end of the tunnel for tourism in general, he said.

“We passed pre-Covid bookings last November and 2023 will be a bumper year for golf tourism in Asia,” predicted Siegel, whose company is a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

It was in mid-2022 that Siegel saw clear signs that international golfers were ready to start returning again.

“From July 22 last year we had arrivals as clients were keen to get back out onto the courses. The return was very quick only, It took only the first three to four months to recover to pre-Covid levels,” he said.

Siegel’s optimism for a speedy recovery for the tourism industry is borne out by a recent study published by IPK International, one of the world’s leading tourism consultancies and tourism research agencies.

IPK’s World Travel Monitor stated that worldwide, outbound travel in 2022 rose by 90 per cent year-on-year, equivalent to a global volume of almost 700 million trips in 2022.

Compared to outbound travel before the pandemic in 2019, this is 66 per cent of pre-crisis levels.

In the immediate post-Covid period, Siegel acknowledged that there has been a shift in where Golfasian’s customers are coming from.

“Pre-Covid our top countries for bookings came from Europe. Now Japan, India, and Malaysia are our top markets. But next winter our focus will be on European golf travellers,” said Siegel, who has seen a trend emerging of more customers wanting to include a tournament in their golf vacations.

“We have seen a growth in international and local golfers keen to compete in our amateur tournaments. Many golfers want to participate in an event or festival,” he said.

With the influx of tourists into countries such as Thailand, one challenge facing many tour operators is securing good hotel rooms.

“Last month was difficult during the Chinese New Year when some regions were full. However, although hotels are busy, we are able to secure rooms as we bring a large number of golfers all year round,” said Siegel.

Share with your Friends

View More Articles

Irrigation Overhaul at Dubai Club

Irrigation Overhaul at Dubai Club

Posted on September 7, 2024
Dubai, UAE: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club is nearing the completion of a significant investment to overhaul and modern...

About AGIF

The Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting all facets of the golf industry across Asia. Our members and partners involved in to advance sustainable practices and drive the industry’s growth. Join us in taking the next step towards a sustainable industry.

Contact

Asian Golf Industry Federation
18 Howard Road, #08-07 Novelty Bizcentre,
Singapore 369585
Chief Communications Officer
communications@agif.asia
Membership & Administration Manager
membership@agif.asia

Connect With AGIF

Copyright © 2023 Asian Golf Industry Federation.