Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) is on a promotional drive to strengthen Abu Dhabi as a golf destination, targeting expanding golf markets in Europe, China, India, and the GCC.
In a statement released on Monday, TCA said it was working with golf courses, tour operators, hoteliers and promotion agencies to expand Abu Dhabi’s golf tourism ambitions.
A new golf portal on visitabudhabi.ae, the destination promotion website, will be the focus of the marketing drive, along with social media channels, digital advertising, and newsletters to over 65,000 current subscribers.
This is expected to triple traffic to the website to 200,000 visits over the year.
Chiheb Ben-Mahmoud, head of hotels and hospitality at Jones Lang LaSelle, said the move was a positive one, given that golf tourists are typically associated with higher average spending, which could then spillover across hotels and retailers.
“The golf market is a very important one in western Europe, Japan, and other countries. Plus, you always have the local demand. Golf players have been increasing over the past years, and it fits with the overall image of Abu Dhabi as a destination,” he said.
He added that there are already multiple hotels with golf courses, so the infrastructure is laid out to capitalise on the market.
“We’re talking about a niche. It’s not something that will define Abu Dhabi as a destination. It is part of the appeal, and the facilities are there, but it doesn’t mean that Abu Dhabi will survive on golf courses,” Ben-Mahmoud said.
In 2014, Abu Dhabi’s leading six golf courses hosted 139,175 rounds of golf — 20,757 of which were from overseas guests. In 2011, the figure stood at 6,674, according to TCA.
Given the UAE’s climate, peak season for golf is between October and April, which analysts believe to be enough of a time frame to build Abu Dhabi as a golf destination.
Christopher Hewett, senior consultant at TRI Hospitality Consulting, said that TCA’s plan was a positive step to capitalise on the visitors and awareness that the emirate gets through the annual Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
“It’s a great way of tapping into the regional and international markets. There’s a strong number of people that travel specifically to go visit golf destinations, and Abu Dhabi, I think, has enough infrastructure to get that,” he said.
As for competition in the region, other destinations that attract golf tourists include Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain, though Dubai remains the largest one.
Hewett added that the move will also help broaden Abu Dhabi’s offerings.
“As Abu Dhabi continues to grow in its market presence and get its awareness out internationally, it can be seen as a golf destination,” he said.
By Sarah Diaa Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2015. All rights reserved.
