Marco Island golf courses will be busy next week as Florida’s Paradise Coast welcomes almost 100 golf tour operators from more than 20 countries.
The International Association of Golf Tour Operators is holding its North America Golf Tourism Convention June 26-29 at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa.
An affluent customer base with a higher spend than the average traveler makes golf tourism an attractive niche here on Florida’s Paradise Coast, which includes Naples, Marco Island, and Everglades.
In addition to the educational sessions and networking, the convention features a golf tournament at Marco Island Marriott’s championship courses, The Rookery & Hammock Bay.
Naples has more golf holes per capita than any other city, The National Golf Foundation reports in its most recent survey. There are 90 golf courses to choose from, including a large number of public and semi-private courses.
Florida, meanwhile, is a top destination for international and U.S. travelers. In 2012, nearly 90 million people visited, including 10.2 million overseas visitors and 3.6 million Canadians.
The Paradise Coast is two hours west of Miami and four from Orlando.
IAGTO’s 2,117 members include golf tour operators, golf resorts, golf courses, airlines and tourist boards who control more than 85% of golf vacation packages sold worldwide.
KPMG’s Golf Practice recently reported that the golf travel market continued to grow in 2012, as it did in 2011, with 57% of tour operators recording an increase in business, and 80% predicting an increase again in 2013.
