Andalusia has been chosen as the "European Golf Destination of the Year Award" in the 2017 Awards Galagranted by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO). This award, which was received in Palma de Mallorca by the Minister of Tourism and Sport, Francisco Javier Fernández, recognises the work of the community in the promotion and commercialisation of the segment, and its collaboration with specialist companies.

The minister has valued that the prize is the clearest evidence of the "quality and excellence" of the golf offer in Andalusia. Furthermore, he also pointed out that the destination also stands out for “the attractive, diverse complementary offer that adapts to practically all tastes and interests of visitors” which, he emphasises, allows for positioning Andalusia as “one of the most complete and competitive destinations in the world”.

The IAGTO annually grants this award among the nominated golf destinations and resorts that offer the best experiences to guests based on criteria of customer satisfaction, quality of the courses and accommodation, value for money, professional conduct of providers, support by the local tourism industry and accessibility to tee times.

The professional association grants these awards within the framework of the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) fair, which this year is held in Palma de Mallorca. Each year acknowledges five destinations corresponding to world's five regions, specifically, North America, Caribbean and Latin America, Europe, Africa-Arab States of the Persian Gulf and India-Australian continent and Asia-Australasia. Before receiving the award, Fernández visited the IGTM fair - the sector's main event worldwide - and met with representatives of a delegation of 45 companies and Andalusian institutions that were present (hotels, resorts, golf clubs and courses, provincial agencies and boards), who expressed their satisfaction with the volume of networking achieved at the event.

The IGTM fair, which has been held in Andalusia on three occasions, reaches this year a participation record, with 450 exhibitors and 380 specialised tour operators. During this event, the community's delegation has formalised diverse commercial contacts with representatives of the demands of the national market as well as representatives from the United Kingdom, Germany and Nordic countries, among others.

Strategic segment

Andalusia is currently one of the main destinations in continental Europe for golf tourism. With over a hundred golf courses throughout the territory, it is Spain's leader with regards to facilities, this segment being one with the greatest impact for the tourist industry in the community.

The destination received in 2015 a total of 480,000 tourists with golf as their primary motivation, 4.9% more compared with 2014. Travellers of this segment have a profile of special interest for the community, given their high average stay of 11.4 days, and average daily expenditure, which reached €129.68, close to €63 euros above the average, with an increase of almost €25 compared with the previous year.

Established in 1997, the IAGTO currently has 2,495 members from 96 countries, including 647 specialised tour operators from 61 countries, that control an estimated commercialisation of almost 87% of golf holiday packages worldwide.