Australia is attempting to establish itself as one of the world's major golfing destinations with a partnership between the country's premier golf courses, Tourism Australia, state tourism offices and the PGA of Australia.
Called the Great Golf Courses of Australia, the group, set up two months ago, will initially comprise the six Australian courses featured by Golf Magazine of the United States in its Top 100 courses of the world: Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm in Tasmania, Kingston Heath and Royal Melbourne in Victoria, New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney, and Royal Adelaide in South Australia.
Golf is a popular sport in Australia. There are reportedly 1.2 million golfers playing on more than 1,650 different courses around the country each year, contributing about A$3 billion (HK$24.18 billion) to the economy.
While Australia has some of the world's best golf courses, this alone is not enough to establish the country as an international golf tourism destination, says Elizabeth Sattler, director of Great Golf Courses of Australia.
'We must continue to drive the buzz that has been created around Australia in recent years,' she says. 'Successful marketing, promotion and distribution of Australian Golf products to the international market are vital if we are to gain a great share of the golf tourism market pie.'
The group will work with Australia's golf industry, leading inbound operators and Tourism Australia to profile and leverage the golfing product that Australia has to offer the world. It will work with partners around the world on public relations activities, representation at key trade shows, representation with key golfing bodies and working with leading inbound operators to create itineraries focused on providing the ultimate 'Aussie Golf' experience.
