UPCOMING GIA SUMMIT IN PUNE TO FOCUS ON GOLF TOURISM, TURF MANAGEMENT
The Golf Industry Association (GIA) will hold the 11th edition of its Golf & Turf Summit 2024 at the Oxford Golf Resort in Pune on October 17 and 18.with industry leaders and eminent global figures scheduled to speak on efforts to inspire innovation and growth in the industry, it was announced in the capital on Friday.
The GIA, a not-for-profit organisation to promote the game and related businesses, was founded in 2011 to provide a platform for courses and vendors in the industry to grow the game at various levels including at the policy-making fora.
Founder-president and incumbent Anirudh Seolaker said on Friday that besides the GIA’s ongoing agenda, the lead-up to the summit would seek to create awareness, foster collaboration among industry leaders, drive innovation and promote sustainable practices.
“Golf tourism in India is on an upward swing. We have a rich legacy of the sport and in the last two decades a number of privately-owned courses have been developed with superior member facilities and there is a need to increase awareness about them,” Seolaker said.
“This year’s Golf & Turf Summit will be focusing on golf tourism – a key objective of the ministry of tourism. Also, the prime minister is giving priority to sports in a big way so golf must seek to benefit from that. We will also have a congregation of industry leaders and eminent speakers from across the globe to share their vision and understanding of the golfing ecosystem,” he added.
Tourism Ministry joint director general Arun Srivastava advocated for a broader push from the industry besides looking for government backing. “Looking at global figures, India does only a fraction of the business worldwide so there is a need to take the sport beyond tourism and make it more accessible to the domestic market. We will also help where needed.”
GIA vice-president Anit Mehrotra said golf tourism has significantly contributed to the industry's growth over the past financial year. “To cater to the growing demand from golf tourists, there has been a surge in the development and upgrading of golf courses and facilities. Investments in infrastructure like building new courses, upgrading existing ones, and enhancing amenities, have stimulated the industry by creating a cycle of growth,” Mehrotra noted.
GIA board member and past president Deepali Shah Gandhi thought that significant policy changes from the government aimed at enhancing accessibility to golf had been evident of late but much needed to be done to make golf more inclusive, including reduction in the cost of participation, investing in public golf facilities, subsidizing green fees for young players and creating awareness about opportunities of employment in golf courses and industries related to golf.
Also expected at next month’s summit in Pune will be prominent bureaucrats from concerned ministries, golf course owners of the country, traders and manufacturers of golf equipment, machinery and allied services, GIA officials added.
2024-09-06T15:45:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd