Biarritz proving to be attractive destination as International Golf Travel Market 98% full with three months to go

Reed Travel Exhibitions, organisers of International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), have announced that the show is 98% full with three months to go until the event. IGTM 2002 which will take place in Biarritz, France from 8 - 11 December 2002, is being hosted by Biarritz Tourisme, and will take place in Le Bellevue Convention Centre and Le Casino Municipal.

IGTM is regarded as the premier event for the golf travel industry. It is the only forum where specialist golf tour operators, incentive travel agents and meetings and conference organisers can meet with leading hotels, resorts, airlines and other suppliers of golf related products.

'Biarritz, the host destination for 2003, certainly seems to be an added attraction for this year's delegates,' says Mark Walsh, Event Manager, IGTM, 'On the exhibitor side the show is 98% full - a fantastic achievement three months prior to the event. We have representation from 33 countries this year. As the show is returning to Europe this year, it is no surprise that there is particularly strong representation from France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Scotland, Ireland and Wales are also maintaining a very strong presence. The USA will have a stronger representation in Biarritz than in 2001 as well as the Caribbean. Other countries represented officially are Australia, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dubai, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya , Malaysia, Qatar, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey to name but a few.'

IGTM has a loyal exhibitor base with many exhibitors returning year on year. Damian Ryan, Director of Golf, Irish Tourist Board says, ' IGTM is a very successful golf show. Feedback was very positive from our trade partners who attended last year at Sun City, South Africa. The promotional benefits for Irish golf are excellent at this show.'

Ewen Bowman, Sales Manager, The Westin Turnberry Resort, Scotland comments, 'IGTM is without doubt the first and most important date in our business calendar. It provides us with the perfect opportunity to meet our exact target audience and build relationships with existing and potential clients.'

Gary Wilkinson, Managing Director, Wilkinson Golf & Leisure, Scotland adds: 'Our own client base of travel partners and agents is world-wide and IGTM offers us the chance to meet with these professionals under one roof. Each time we have attended IGTM we have managed to attract new agents to sell our golf vacation products so we look forward to visiting Biarritz where more new business can be stimulated.'

Another returning exhibitor is Guy Maranzana of Chateaux Golf & Country Clubs, France: 'We have participated at all the IGTM shows and believe it is the ideal venue for buyers and sellers and serious players in the world wide golf tourism industry. Whether it is to promote new members, meet new travel agents and tour operators specialising in golf holidays or simply to watch the market trends and meet your competition, IGTM offers an instant insight into the golf tourism industry and immediate access to those organisations which are promoting and selling it to the end consumer. The fact that IGTM is staged and held annually in a new golf destination adds another interesting dimension to the show and gives all participants the opportunity to discover new products and destinations for their clients or know more about the competition.'

Juan Carlos Seminario, Sales Director, Coral Hotels & Resorts says, 'We have participated at IGTM since the first year and believe in the enormous potential of the Golf industry. We have been making contacts with our clients for the past 4 years and IGTM has helped us in doing so enormously. We believe in IGTM so much that last year, after the events of 9-11, we reconfirmed our presence in Sun City, we crossed the world to support IGTM. I am very proud of having put my sand grain into such an event as IGTM, and as long as I am able to be there I will.'

International Golf Travel Market 2002 will take place in Biarritz, France 8 - 11 December 2002.