DESTINATIONGOLF . TRAVEL FEATURE
The Scottish Inbound Golf Tour Operators ’ Association ( SIGTOA ) was formed in 1993 , with the goal of becoming the voice of the country ’ s inbound golf tour operators . When called upon to do so it could provide invaluable insights and important advice on issues affecting Scottish golf tourism .
It is no surprise that the past two years have been the most challenging for Scottish golf , never mind the people and government of Scotland . The uncertainty of Covid worldwide left everyone wondering what was to come so SIGTOA ’ s solid hand at the rudder has helped Scottish golf navigate those choppy waters .
The positive news is that 2022 looks like a year for bouncing back and bookings have made that abundantly clear . Destination Golf talks to Gary Wilkinson , SIGTOA ’ s Chair , about the organisation ’ s set-up , its work … and how it has handled the difficulties of Covid . He also discusses SIGTOA ’ s brand new three-year strategy to commit to zero-carbon golf vacations .
Destination Golf ( DG ): Who was behind the formation of SIGTOA ?
Gary Wilkinson ( GW ): The Scottish Inbound Golf Tour Operators ’ Association was formed at the request of both the then Scottish Tourist Board and St Andrews Links Trust , in order to bring an accepted code of conduct to the industry .
DG : What is your purpose ?
GW : Our purpose is two-fold : internally , it ’ s to be a forum to disseminate information to our members and discuss any issues we may have ; externally , we strive to be recognised as the voice of inbound tour operators providing advice and opinion on issues affecting Scottish golf tourism . The most obvious and recent example is the impact of Covid .
DG : What is the current make up of SIGTOA ?
GW : We have 11 Members ( inbound tour operators ). There are three categories of member : Full , Associate and International . The International category was only introduced this year .
Gary Wilkinson ( GW ): The Scottish Inbound Golf Tour Operators ’ Association
Our members are operators who have seen the benefit of collective discussions on issues as they apply to us all . When a tour operator asks me , “ what will I get out of it ?”, my reply is always a polite , “ what can you bring to us ?” We ’ re not looking for people who just want a logo to add to their website : we want people who can help make a difference to they way our members work .
DG : And who are your ‘ Partners ’?
GW : Our small group of 14 Key Partners are the courses and hotels that our members use the most . They were selected based on the levels of business our members give them and then invited to become recognised Key Partners through our promotions and on our website .
We have nine course partners ( comprising 16 golf courses ) and five accommodation partners : Fairmont St Andrews , Links House at Royal Dornoch , Ness Walk Hotel , Old Course Hotel , and The Chester Hotel .
DG : Are you looking for more tour operators , hotels and / or courses to expand SIGTOA ’ s reach ?
GW : We certainly are . We have just re-constituted the joining criteria to make changes to the way companies can join us , including the new category for International Members – essentially any golf tour operator based outside Scotland .
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