Tourism counselor:Egypt’s golf courses great asset for COP27 success

Tourism counselor Dr. Yehya Abdul Qader hailed Egypt’s participation in the International Golf Travel Market 2022 (IGTM)

Tourism counselor Dr. Yehya Abdul Qader hailed Egypt’s participation in the International Golf Travel Market 2022 (IGTM). He stated that over 1,000 participants, including 450 of the world’s top golf courses, resorts, hotels, tourist boards and destination management companies from 50 countries met with over 350 tour operators and travel agents, creating some 14,000 meetings over the course of the three days from October 17 to 20.

Over the phone to (Breakfast Show), he highlighted that it is a leading leisure, sports and tourism association for tourists’ luxury resorts and destinations worldwide. It was established 50 years ago and Egypt is an active member, he said. It promotes activities in the top tourism ranking countries, he indicated. The only global golf expo is for golf travel professionals, showcasing golf destinations, resorts & courses to tour operators looking to grow their product. Egypt’s agenda was to promote our resorts that have golf courses, he asserted.

Shedding light on the main activities of the gathering, he noted that the event offered workshops, presentations, press releases, and it showed the latest developments in the luxury resorts and the top selected locations worldwide. There is great networking of the golf associations’ sponsors, governments and tourists, he indicated.

Since the pandemic had taken place for years and so many events had been postponed, thus the idea of this market is the coming back and resuming businesses and leisure areas, and conducting regular championships. The Arab Golf Association, which Egypt is a member of, has been holding championships since the 1960s. There is also the Mediterranean Golf Association and the Global Association. Egypt has been an active member and a regular attendant since the 1990s, he added.

Dr. Abdul Qader hailed Egypt as it is now developing great resorts in Alamein, Marsa Alam, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and the Administrative Capital. We are a unique country to have a beautiful golf course overlooking the Giza Pyramids, he commended.

He assured that sports are a major attractor of business tourism. Visitors like to know where the tennis courts, the swimming pools and also the golf courses are. That is one of the niche markets the government is currently trying to provide, Qader affirmed, referring that the Olympic committee was in Egypt a few days ago in order to check about the state’s facilities so that we can hold the Olympics after ten years.

He continued that golf is an eco-friendly sport which copes with Egypt’s hosting of COP27 next November. Over 40000 participants, professionals, environmentalists, scientists, writers, world media, UN representatives, foreign delegates and experts will be present in Sharm El Sheikh. Most of them practice sports such as tennis, squash, aquatics, and some like golf which is a very relaxing and creative game, he concluded. 

(Breakfast Show) is aired daily. This episode is presented by Dina Hussein.