The Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) is owned and operated by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators). AGTC takes place in a different golf destination each year with the 7th annual AGTC being staged in the Philippines, with the main Convention taking place at Resorts World last 22-25 April 2018. Previous AGTC host destinations have been: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2012), Pattaya, Thailand (2013), Mission Hills Haikou, Hainan Island, China (2014),Jakarta, Indonesia (2015), Chiang Mai, Thailand (2016), Danang, Vietnam (2017).

AGTC is established as the most important golf tourism event in the Asia Pacific region.

AGTC brings together international golf tour operators from around the world, all selling golf vacations to Asia, to meet with golf tourism suppliers (golf resorts, hotels, golf courses, inbound tour operators and tourist boards) from Asia, the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Gulf States.

AGTC is also designed to showcase the host destination to the participating golf tour operators, in order to generate sustainable growth in golf travel to the host destination of this high revenue, low impact tourism sector.

Established in 1997, IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) is the global trade organisation of the golf tourism industry, and has over 2653 member companies in 98 countries including 685 golf tour operator members in 64 countries, which control more than 87% of golf vacation packages sold worldwide and which collectively have annual sales of more than USD 2.5 billion.

IAGTO runs annual Asia Golf Tourism Convention and North America Golf Tourism Convention, along with regular Destination Conventions. IAGTO established the International Golf Travel Market, now owned and operated by Reed Travel Exhibitions, in 1997 and the International Golf Travel Writers Association in 2000. IAGTO also runs the prestigious annual IAGTO Awards and the IAGTO Excellence Awards.

AGTC 2018 has attracted over 560 participants including 200+ golf tour operators from 33 countries. A record number of golf tour operators (over 160) participated in golf familiarization tours before and after the Convention, experiencing first-hand what the Philippines has to offer the international golf traveller.

IAGTO announced at AGTC: “In 2017, IAGTO’s 686 international golf tour operators recorded an 8.8% growth in golf vacation sales, marking six years of consecutive growth in this high revenue, low impact, tourism sector.

“In January this year, forward bookings taken by golf tour operators were up 10.8% compared to the same time last year. Golf courses, golf resorts and hotels in Asia reported golf visitor arrivals up 9.2% in 2017, demonstrating that golf travel continues to outstrip the growth of general leisure tourism by a significant margin.”

IAGTO Chief Executive, Peter Walton, says: “Thanks to the efforts of the Philippines Department of Tourism and its Tourism Promotion Board, the world’s leading golf tour operators will see for themselves an amazing array of golf experiences – including the Tagaytay Highlands, Clark/Angeles City and Metro Manila – for the first time, in the case of the majority of them. At the convention itself, close to 1,000 meetings will take place between international tour operators and Philippine golf course, hotels, inbound operators and other golf tourism suppliers. I have no doubt that this will lead to an immediate and sustainable growth in golf tourism to the Philippines.”

He added: “Golfers spend 120% more per person per day in destination compared to general leisure tourists – more than double! This is revenue for the country’s tourism industry and not just the golf courses, as 75% of spend is concentrated on hotels, restaurants, shopping and transportation.”