DG 30 - November 2015 * | Page 46

A group of participants at the IGTM Golf Tournament in Tenerife. INTERNATIONAL GOLF TRAVEL MARKET 2015, TENERIFE Ten years after hosting its first International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), the world’s premier global event for golf tourism suppliers, buyers and media returns to The Canary Islands, in Spain, providing a platform for the region to showcase its development as one of Europe’s leading golf tourism destinations. Carlos Alonso, President of the Tenerife Government (Cabildo), said: “Tenerife is delighted to host IGTM for the first time. The island now boasts nine different 18hole layouts and two 9-hole pitch and putt courses, which directly correlates to the region’s on-going popularity as a golf tourism destination. According to the latest figures from Turespaña, golf accounted for more than 986,000 foreign tourists visiting Spain in 2014. Marta Blanco, General Director of Turespaña, commented: “Turespaña fully supports the celebration of key events within the golfing calendar and is looking forward to welcoming IGTM to Tenerife. The 2015 edition of IGTM, which took place in Tenerife, the largest and most populous Canary Island, at The Magma Conference Centre from October 5-8, 2015, highlighted the impor [