Golf industry in Turkey set for further boost with Hestourex 2019

By Rahul Banerji

For a nation that traces its history back over ten millennia and with its location at the confluence of Asia and Europe, Turkey offers a virtual feast – of heritage culture, cuisine, the arts to name just a few areas of interest – to visitors, who flock there in the millions every year.

To further push the business of tourism in all its aspects, Turkey has of late been organising an exposition, Hestourex, to bring together stakeholders at various levels and buyers which has the backing of the President and associated ministries and departments of the government including culture and tourism, foreign affairs, trade, health, industry and youth and sports.

The next edition of the event will be held in Antalya from April 3 to 7 this year.

Fast-growing industry

While golf has long had a presence in Turkey, it has a surprisingly small number of courses – though of top quality – divided between the cultural capital region of Istanbul, the Agean Sea area of Izmir, and of course, the Belek-Antalya belt along the Mediterranean coast which serves up the best the country can offer.

It also hosts the Turkish Airlines Open, the finale of the European Tour, most recently at the magnificent Carya Golf Club course in Antalya.

With golf playing an increasing part in tourism plans as it attracts a relatively affluent clientele, the sport is also likely to be a focus area for Hestourex 2019. With most Turkish courses especially in the Belek-Antalya area allied with quality resorts, there is substantial interest amongst exhibitors in the expo.

Testing time

I had the good fortune to be invited to Istanbul before the Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup amateur championship a couple of years ago and had a feel of the golf on offer at the sprawling Kemer Golf and Country Club which I remember as being equally a test of golfing expertise and stamina.

Set in rolling countryside, as most golf properties in Turkey are, Kemer has two distinct sections around a massive development and presents the golfer an array of terrain to tackle including slopes, dog-legs, streams and marsh, all of which can be quite a trial for the unprepared golfer.

Be that as it may, according to the website of the expo, Hestourex is “Turkey’s first and only multi-disciplinary platform established with the aim to introduce Turkey’s potential in health, sport and alternative tourism by developing bilateral cooperation in global professional business meetings,” according to the event’s website.

Significant business

The previous edition, Hestourex 2018, the site says, saw 5,017 buyers related to the areas mentioned congregate from 165 countries. Over the four days of the expo, 50,000-plus business related meetings took place between buyers and the 253 exhibitors.

The aim, organisers say, is to make Hestourex 2019 an even bigger and even better experience as it offers the biggest business development platform with a wide range of opportunities from all around the world. With well-prepared teams on the buyer and seller sides, it has the potential to create and lead to many lucrative business agreements.

According to tourism figures, golf arrivals into Turkey – largely from northern Europe to start with – have climbed from 10,000-odd in the early years when the government first decided to assist the golfing industry to past the half a million mark in less than 25 years.

Golfers now arrive from around the world and India is a growing market for the Turkish golf industry assisted in no small way by the fact that there are now direct flights to Turkey, making it a short-haul destination for Indian golfers.

Also read: Antalya’s Regnum Carya to host Turkish Airlines Open from November 1