By Rahul Banerji
The fifth edition of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Golf Travel Mart was held earlier this month in the kingdom’s ancient northern capital of Chiang Mai as part of a strategy to develop the high-spending, long-staying customer segment.
Chiang Mai sits in the shadow of Thailand’s northern mountains and was founded towards the end of the 13th century and succeeded Chiang Rai as the capital of the Lan Na empire. It is today among the most populous cities of the kingdom and a growing golf destination,
Accordingly, TGTM 2019 attracted a contingent of 116 golf tour operators from 24 countries, including 22 from China (22), Japan (17), nine from India, South Korea (8), and Singapore (7).
New faces
To broaden exposure of Thailand’s golfing attractions, TAT also invited 59 first-time buyers, especially from new markets including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Portugal and Sweden.
According to TAT, among the 97 Thai exhibitors, mainly representatives of Thailand’s golf courses and resorts, 37 were from the Central Region, 23 from the East, 22 from the North, 10 from the South and five from the Northeast and included 39 first-time sellers.
The opening ceremony and Thailand Golf Briefing and a panel discussion were held during the day and a reception hosted on the evening of August 7. This was followed by the business session and a Thai Night hosted by TAT on August 8, and a networking golf tournament was played on August 9, the final day.
The panel discussion revolved around “Thailand beyond a premier golf destination” and featured TAT deputy governor for Marketing and Communications, Tanes Petsuwan, Thai golf legend Thongchai Jaidee, and David Rollo, vice-president, Golf of IMG Events.
After hosting TGTMs at Hua Hin, Pattaya, Khao Yai and Phuket to highlight the diversity of the kingdom’s leading sports tourism sector. Chiang Mai, known as the Rose of the North, was selected this time.
Rich in diversity
The area is growing as a golfing destination with international standard facilities set amidst picturesque natural landscapes, and has a rich history, besides its unique culture of the northern region.
According to TAT, Thailand counts among the top golfing destinations in Asia with some 700,000 golfers visiting each year. There are over 300 courses nationwide with comparatively low green fees and high professional standards.
The World Golf Travel Agents Association recently named Thailand as the “Best up and coming destination for golf vacations.” Chiang Mai itself was voted The Next Golf Destination of the Year Asia & Australasia 2017 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO).
Speaking at the event, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT deputy governor for International Marketing, Asia and South Pacific, said, “We are very pleased with the great response to this year’s golf travel mart.
“We have rotated it all around the country ever since its inception in order to maximise exposure of the tremendous diversity of our golf products, especially in the emerging provinces.
This year, we encouraged invited golfers to try out Lamphun, 20 kilometres from Chiang Mai, a small province where investors have developed four breathtaking golf courses with gorgeous scenery.”
Feeder Tour event at Karnal
Meanwhile, the 2019 Tata Steel Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Feeder Tour will stage its third event of the season at the Madhuban Meadows Golf Course in Karnal, from Wednesday to Friday offering a prize purse of Rs. 8 lakh.
A PGTI statement said that a general rule, the top-60 players from the 2018 PGTI Order of Merit are not eligible to play on the Feeder Tour but, two spots have been allocated at all feeder events this time.
The winner of this year’s Feeder Tour Order of Merit earns exemption on the main tour for the 2020 season.
The two top 60 players in the field at Madhuban Meadows are Karnal’s Mani Ram, a three-time winner on the Feeder Tour and 2010 Feeder Tour Order of Merit champion, and Chandigarh’s Ranjit Singh.
The three local entrants in the field are Mani Ram, Suryadeep Lather and amateur Ritesh Kumar.
The field will feature a total of 85 players. The top 36 players and ties will make the cut after the first two rounds.
Also read: An Eye-opening Visit
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