By TradeInvestKenya Staff
International golfers have endorsed Kenya as a suitable golf tourism destination, putting it in a position to earn a share of the global $1.3 billion generated by the sport yearly.
The country has good potential to move from being an undiscovered golfing destination to an accomplished one, but needs to be marketed, according to the chief executive of International Association of Golf Tour Operators, Peter Walton.
Kenya has quality courses, offers value for money in terms of pricing, favourable weather, hospitality, as well as the safari segment. Its main markets are Europe, Middle East and Africa which have a combined eight million golfers of which at least 30% take golf tours.
Walton says that golfers spend between 50 and 200% more money than leisure tourists.
Tourism minister Najib Balala says golf tourism would be part of the Kenya Tourist Board’s diversification and would be marketed especially to fill the gaps during the low season.
The association's officials were in the country for 10 days and visited golf courses for a full audit of the country’s potential as a major golfing destination.
Source: Business Daily
