DG Issue 27 - June 2015 . | Page 50

Recipients of the IAGTO Exc Awards honoured as the AG to a close in Jakarta Golf courses in six countries in the Asia Pacific region have been recognised for the excellence of their facilities and service at a lavish gala dinner in Indonesian capital Jakarta marking the end of the 4th annual IAGTO Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC). A special award for the achievements of a tourist office was also made during the 2nd annual IAGTO Excellence Awards, with the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board – which brands itself as Tourism Malaysia – being given the accolade. Peter Walton, Chief Executive of global golf tourism industry organisation IAGTO, which organises the annual AGTC event, revealed the winners to the 700 convention delegates and dignitaries gathered in the grand ballroom of Jakarta’s luxury Hotel Mulia for the gala night. IAGTO has carried out 50 more than 250 golf tourism audits of golf courses around the world over the past decade and this year, one course from each of six countries was selected to receive the prestigious distinction. The golf course recipients of Diamond Award in the 2015 IAGTO Excellence Awards were: Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi; Angkor Golf Resort, Cambodia; Spring City Golf & Lake Resort, China; Damai Indah Golf’s BSD & PIK courses, Indonesia; Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, Malaysia; and Black Mountain Golf Club, Thailand. This is the first year a tourist office has been honoured in the Excellence Awards. Announcing Malaysia’s tourism board as winner of that category, Walton told delegates: “Over the past 18 years, we have seen that real success for achieving sustainable golf in golf tourism Destination Golf TRAVEL comes when private and public sectors work together. We need ministries of tourism and tourist boards to support the promotion of golf destinations in the Asia Pacific region. “So the final winner of our Excellence Awards goes to a tourist board that deserves recognition for supporting its national golf tourism industry through the funding of a longterm golf tourism promotion strategy that began in 2011.” Tourism Malaysia Director of Industry Development, Saidi Bundan, said: “Winning the accolade is an achievement that we really appreciate for our hard work in promoting the destination. Since four years ago the government has focused on the golf segment as one that can contribute to the economy. “We started marketing and promoting the golf segment together with non-