Cahit Şahin, chairman of the Turkey and Antalya Golf Specialized Sports Club and the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, told that the 17 world-class courses that make up the Belek Tourism Region welcome 150,000 visitors from 30 countries every year.
Every year, thousands from Europe, Asia and the U.S. head to the Belek Tourism Region in Antalya, which has become one of the world’s most popular destinations for golf tourism thanks to its beautiful climate, 5-stars hotels and high-class golf courses.
There is growing interest in quality golf courses
Cahit Sahin, told Anadolu Agency that Antalya and Belek in terms of climate is an appropriate place for golf tourism.
Şahin stated that a total of 76 athletes from 28 countries arrived in Belek to compete in the Turkish Airlines Open 2019 Golf Tournament and that many athletes arrived to check out the quality of the facilities outside the tournament season, too.
Pointing out that golf can be played in Antalya for a whole year: ‘We have 17 golf courses at world standards in our region and we welcome 150 thousand people from 30 countries.”
Sahin mentioned that the bulk of golfers frequenting the area arrived from Germany, the U.K., the U.S. and Scandinavia, Şahin added that many more had begun to arrive from Japan, China and South Korea, as well.
Emphasizing that golf made a significant contribution to tourism, Şahin stated that Spain and Portugal had 5.5 billion euros ($6.09 billion) in tourism revenues thanks to 300 golf courses.
Plus, the official added, the general profile of golfers adds to the revenue picked up, stating: “An income of about 1,500 euros is spent per person in the peak season and about 1,000 euros in the low season.”
“We have guests who come to Belek only for golf; they stay at the hotel for seven days and play golf for five days. Antalya needs to get a larger share of golf tourism. There are around 65 million golfers in the world. Of that, 30 million live in the Americas, 15 million live in Asia, and the rest in Europe. Given this crowd travels twice a year, there is serious potential. There has been an increase of around 40% in the number of our guests compared to previous years’.
According to Şahin, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) cited the Belek region as a zone open to development for golf.