SUCCESS STORY
Educating Stakeholders on International Golf Tourism
- Visit Mississippi
- Regional Tourism Boards
- Mississippi, USA
Mississippi Tourism was hosting IAGTO's North America Golf Tourism Convention in Biloxi on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. This Convention was a landmark moment for Tourism Mississippi in their efforts to harness the power of golf tour operators to drive high revenue tourism to golf destinations throughout the state.
However, there was a lack of comprehensive knowledge about international golf travel as well as structures and processes to cater to international golfers, while preferred Casino hotels were reluctant to work with international golf travel trade. GTC was called in to create awareness about the value of international golf tourism and educate staholders about its potential.
- Successful presentations titled, “Are you ready for international golf tourism?” and “Working with International Golf Tour Operators – a win/win for everybody!?” highlighted facts, numbers and value of international golf tourism.
- Recommendations to advance market diversification and improve and strengthen Mississippi´s international golf product.
- Strategies to monetize untapped business opportunities and maximize revenue streams through International Golf Tour Operators.
- Harnessing the power of the most potential international golf tour operators and smartly following the Pyramid of Success for the distribution channel golf travel trade – an invaluable guideline when working with international golf tour operators.
Mississippi golf courses, hotels and CVBs are aware of the economic benefits of international golf tourism and understand the criteria for success in this vertical. Equally important, suppliers have the ability to harness the power of international golf tour operators and are perfectly prepared to take full advantage of the International Golf Tourism Convention platform.
Janet Leach
Program Mgr (Golf)Visit Mississippi
Thank you very much for your presentations and insights. I am sure these invaluable guidelines will help our golf courses, hotels and CVBs to be perfectly prepared for the International Golf Tourism Convention in Biloxi.