GEORGE TOURISM AT IGTM
In the photograph from left: Lana Carls from Wesgro, Mmamokwena Gaoretelelwe the South African Ambassador for the Embassy in Lisbon, and Joan Shaw from George Tourism.
Joan Shaw, Tourism Manager of George Municipality, is attending the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) 2023 at the FIL Feira International Convention Centre from 16 to 19 October 2023, to promote golf tourism for George and the greater Garden Route. In collaboration with Wesgro and the Garden Route District Municipality, and with the support of Fancourt and the George Golf Club, George is represented as a prominent golfing destination on the South Africa pavilion.
Influencing since 1998, IGTM takes place in a different location every year to provide the global golf travel industry with a platform to conduct business and gain valuable industry insights. Combining the top-producing private travel agents and known tour operators with world-leading golf courses, destinations, and resorts, this is where new business opportunities are created. Golf courses and destinations visit the show, primarily to increase golf traveller numbers and drive industry revenue.
George has always been famous for its rich golf offering, and for the past few years, George’s marketing has focussed on the other sixty or so activities that are available in George, Wilderness and Uniondale. However, since golf is such a strong driver for tourism and the return of the traditional UK and German markets has been lagging, it is time to put golf travel back in the spotlight to attract lucrative new markets to the area.
George Tourism is marketing the entire region, with a focus on George and golf, and sharing all the other activities and news from the area with tour operators and media. Participants are attending a long line-up of meetings, informative talks on subjects such as how to attract new markets and how to structure packages that consumers will find attractive. Meetings have been held with various media agencies, and Wesgro is encouraging representatives from new markets to apply for familiarisation trips to the region so they can experience the destination first-hand.
Speaking from Lisbon, Joan Shaw says “It is so exciting to be at a marketing show where many regular golf tour operators from the traditional markets already know the area, and to meet many new operators who are looking to move into new markets such as South Africa, who also won the Germany’s Pro Golf International Golf Destination of the Year for 2024, at IGTM”.
Complimentary products on the South African pavilion include Fancourt, de Zalze and Arabella golf estates, Sun International, PRO Golf Safari’s, Adore Africa, Globe Travel and Rovos Rail.
Interesting golf-related presentations and workshops taking place at IGTM 2023.