Tourism Auckland to manage New Zealand Golf Tourism Cluster Inc

24/08/10

Tourism Auckland will take over the management of the New Zealand Golf Tourism Cluster (The Best of Golf New Zealand) from mid August 2010, a media release from Tourism Auckland says.

The Best of Golf New Zealand’s current team, Pip King and Geoff Burns, will continue to support Tourism Auckland in its development of collective activity.

Tourism Auckland chief executive, Graeme Osborne, says the RTO views golf tourism as a key growth opportunity for the visitor sector New Zealand-wide, with visitors attracted to such high calibre resort courses likely to play in more than one region.

“The golfing public represents a high yield target market and we see exciting potential for immediate growth of golfing itineraries and downstream stay and spend,” says Osborne.

“We are excited about the future of the ‘Best of Golf New Zealand’ and look forward to working with the golf tourism sector in New Zealand and overseas.”

Osborne adds that Rugby World Cup 2011 is also a key opportunity.

“We look forward to leveraging our close involvement with the tournament to the benefit of the cluster,” he says.

Tourism is big business in Auckland, generating in excess of $3 billion of GDP per annum and supporting more than 50,000 full time jobs.