Wales will play host to the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) Oct. 26-29, 2020—the first time the global B2B event for the golf travel industry has been welcomed to the UK.
An endorsement of the UK’s importance as a golfing destination, Wales will welcome more than 1,000 international golf tourism suppliers, venues, destinations, buyers and media at the Celtic Manor Resort and the brand new International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) in partnership with The Vale Resort, Marriott St Pierre and Royal Porthcawl.
The announcement by IGTM follows hard on the heels of last week’s news that Wales had secured another major international tourism showcase for 2020 in the shape of VisitBritain’s MeetGB flagship event, which will take place at Celtic Manor (pictured below) and ICC Wales in April.
Fittingly, IGTM 2020 will coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor—one of Wales’ most memorable golfing moments. Next year is also the “Year of the Outdoors” in Wales, reinforcing the country’s renowned strengths in outdoor pursuits, sports, activity, adventure and culture.
IGTM is the meeting place for the global B2B golf travel community. The event provides exhibiting and networking opportunities as well as industry updates for an international audience of 1,200 golf travel professionals including media, golf operators, venues and destinations.
“I’m delighted that Wales will be playing host to this influential event next year—the first time for the event to be hosted in the UK and is excellent news that ICC Wales has secured another international event since its opening,” says Eluned Morgan, minister for International Relations and Welsh Language. “The event will provide an excellent opportunity for us to showcase Wales’ credentials as a fantastic golf and business events destination- as well as our first class hospitality. We look forward to working with partners to deliver a memorable event and to welcoming the delegates to Wales next year.”
David Todd, event manager of IGTM, adds: “We are delighted that our new host for IGTM 2020 is going to be Wales and our venue is Celtic Manor Resort. Their partnership proposal to us was both inspiring and creative giving the event a new state-of-the-art venue in the ICC Wales and committing to offering all participants the world class golf courses for the pre and post event matches. We are looking forward to IGTM 2020 taking place in Wales and working with the Meet in Wales team to #GolfTogether.”
Making use of state-of-the-art facilities, the three-day IGTM exhibition will take place in the 4,000 sq m pillar-free main hall at ICC Wales with the welcome address in the 1,500-seater auditorium at the new venue which only opened in September. Arrival and farewell receptions will take place at the Celtic Manor Resort and the event’s curtain-raising golf tournament will showcase Wales’ wide variety of championship courses, being staged jointly by Celtic Manor, The Vale Resort, Marriott St Pierre and Royal Porthcawl, which was recently announced as the venue for the 2021 AIG Women’s British Open.
“Being the first UK venue to host IGTM is something I am incredibly proud of,” says Celtic Manor Resort and ICC Wales Chief Executive Ian Edwards. “In our first month of opening at ICC Wales, we have already seen the new opportunity that exists for Wales to stage global events and it is great that we will be welcoming another one of the stature of IGTM. The Ryder Cup in 2010 gave us the international profile to showcase Wales as a golf destination for the first time and this great news is undoubtedly part of that legacy. It’s another great opportunity to welcome the international golfing world to Wales and to promote the year-round golf offering that exists right across the country and the rest of the UK.”
Wales’ business strengths combined with beautiful natural terrain and excellent transport links make it the ideal destination for golfing-inspired events, incentives and sports tourism. The country is also home to 200 golf courses, from historic seaside links to beautifully manicured parkland resorts. IGTM 2020 offers an opportunity for delegates to experience a warm Welsh welcome and discover why Wales is an unforgettable destination for golfing visits, business events and as a holiday destination.
Wales is well connected by air, rail and road from across the UK and overseas. Visitors can travel by air directly to Cardiff Airport which has over 50 direct routes and connections to more than 900 other destinations. – or from major UK hubs such as Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, or London airports. Wales is under two hours away by train from the UK capital. For more info, visit MeetInWales.com.
