Italy Golf & More is gearing up to bring an added touch of Italian style and sophistication to the golf industry later this month as it finalises preparations for the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) 2016.
Buoyed by the success of the new project – the first pan-Italian international promotional project for golf – 27 exhibitors from nine different regions are set to head to the sunshine island from November 14-17 to showcase the country’s extensive golf offering to a global industry audience.
Representatives from a mixture of golf clubs, resorts, regional tourist boards and tour operators from the regions represented – Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Tuscany, Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Lazio and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia – will meet show delegates throughout the week to discuss opportunities to promote Italy in the future.
Bruno Bertero, project co-ordinator for Italy Golf & More, said: “Italy has so much to offer as a golf tourism destination and IGTM is the perfect platform to promote our country to a worldwide audience.
“We’re delighted with the great progress that we’ve made this year in a short space of time and it’s great to see so many different regions and figures in our industry golf working together at such an important trade event.”
Featuring no fewer than 141 18-hole courses, Italy is the ideal place to combine a golfing break with the chance to experience many of its other historic, cultural and gastronomic delights.
Italy Golf & More has received widespread acclaim from across Europe since launching this spring, and its strong presence at IGTM underlines the importance of Italy as an emerging force in the golf tourism sector.
The forward-thinking initiative has partnered with the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) on a range of promotional activities at this year’s show including the IGTM golf tournament, the official show catalogue and end-of-event awards party – as well as benefitting from post-show promotion.
Italy Golf & More is a collaboration between 11 private sector partner regions, the Italian Golf Federation and the Ministry of Tourism (MIBACT), who have come together to embark on a seven-figure investment to increase awareness, and future golf tourism traffic, from key European markets to Italy.
The partner regions consist of Friuli Venezia Giulia – the leading partner region of the project – Lombardy, Piedmont, Lazio, Veneto, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, Sicily, Marche and Umbria – who together boast 115 of Italy’s golf courses – with seven further regions falling under the investment of the Italian Golf Federation.
The Italian regions and golf industry representatives exhibiting at IGTM 2016 are:
Emilia Romagna – Emilia Romagna Golf
Friuli Venezia Giulia – Friuli Venezia Giulia Region; Golf Senza Confini Tarvisio – Golf Club Tarvisio; Villaverde Hotel &Resort Wellness Spa & Golf
Tuscany – Argentario Golf Resort & Spa; Cosmopolitan Golf & Beach Resort; Federazione Italiana Golf Comitato Regionale Toscano; Golf Montecatini Terme; Golfing in Florence; Supertravel Tour Operator – Maremma Toscana Golf District; Toscana Promozione Turistica; Toscana Resort Castelfalfi
Lombardy – Blu Hotels Spa; Golf Lake Como
Piedmont – Bogogno Golf Club; UNA Golf Hotel Cavaglia
Sicily – Donnafugata Golf Resort & SPA; Verdura Resort
Veneto – Golf in Veneto
Sardinia – Sardinia Around Golf
Lazio – Golf Resort Rome; Sheraton Parco de’ Medici Rome Hotel
Veneto & Lombardy – Golf Region Lake Garda
Piedmont & Lombardy – Lake Maggiore Golf Destination
Lombardy & All Italy – Olinad Golf & Tours; Roncalli Viaggi – Oro Viaggi srl
All Italy – Italy Golf Experience JSH Hotels Collection
For further information on Italy Golf & More, please email info@italygolfandmore.com or download a brochure at www.italygolfandmore.com