The UK government, in collaboration with Visit England, has unveiled a series of strategic investments, designed to grow the British tourism economy. Golf Tourism England was one of a number of successful applicants. The Discover England Fund, which sets out to ensure that England stays competitive in the global tourism industry.
For those who have never heard of Golf Tourism England, it is an association set up to represent the interest of English golf clubs and support the education and infrastructure of wider tourism stakeholders.
The tourism industry has been at the forefront of the UK’s economic recovery since 2010. According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) research, the tourism industry provided a third of all new jobs created in the UK between 2010 and 2013.
According to UNWTO Tourism Highlights (2016 edition), the United Kingdom held on to 5th place in receipts (45.5 billion USD) and 8th (34.4 million tourists; 5.6% increase between 2014 and 2015) in arrivals.
The strong British Pound against the Euro is still a challenge not just for British golf clubs, but also for those who are involved in the tourism industry in general. For the same reason, British golfers will be highly motivated to travel to Euro-zone countries or where it is, even more, cheaper (e.g Hungary, Thailand, Vietnam etc.).
Another interesting challenge is to convince foreign golf tourists to discover the high quality, but less known or unknown golf courses. Personally, I would think about how to redefine their tourist offerings and utilize digital channels (e.g. social media channels like TripAdvisor, Instagram, Facebook; Viber, WhatsApp, mobile-friendly website and mobile app etc.) to generate awareness and interest.
Golf clubs should be prepared for online (including mobile!) sales!! Be also where people compare tee-time and other golf club related prices (e.g. Tripadvisor, Golfboo.com).
Golf clubs should know their customer and connect the right data at the right moment to deliver the right service. One more thing, no more mass offers! Strive to provide personalized offers and solutions. To provide personalized offers beacon technology can be useful for golf clubs and resorts.
