International Golf Travel Market 2004 on track for success

Over half the floor space at this years International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) has already been allocated with six months to go until the event. IGTM 2004, organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions, will take place in Estoril & Sintra from 6 -9 December and is being hosted by the Estoril & Sintra Golf Coast. The exhibition itself will take place at the impressive Estoril Convention Centre.

Now in its seventh year, IGTM is regarded as a premier event for the golf travel industry. It allows specialist golf tour operators, incentive travel agents and meetings and conference organisers to meet with leading hotels, resorts, airlines and other suppliers of golf related products.

New to IGTM this year was the development of an online buyer registration form. To date, the number of buyers registered via the website has already surpassed the number of registered buyers from the same time last year. In addition, there is the added incentive for member of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) for a second buyer from an IAGTO outbound operator company to receive four nights free accommodation in Estoril during the show. These show developments should provide IGTM 2004 with the best international buyer total in the shows history.

The picture so far is just as positive from the exhibitor side with IGTM maintaining its' international focus with representation from all 5 continents taking part. Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Scotland, Ireland are all having their strongest representation to date. Over 180 booths have been reserved on the floorplan, compared to 110 booths for the same time last year. And with a staggering 253 exhibitor registrations already submitted, (a 57% increase on this period last year), IGTM 2004 is once again preparing to break all previous records.

The official pre-IGTM Golf Familiarisation Tour will be organised by the Estoril & Sintra Tourist Board and will include golf in the neighbouring regions of Oeste and Costa Azul. The Fam Tour this year is designed to enable golf tour operators and golf travel writers to experience the superb golf and tourism products available to golfers who choose to stay in either Estoril or Sintra. Designed to demonstrate the wealth of excellent golf available in the award-winning Lisbon Golf Coast region, and with all participants staying at the renowned Penha Longa Hotel & Golf Resort for the 3 nights, the Familiarisation Tour is a not to be missed opportunity. All tour reservations are being coordinated by IAGTO and are open to IAGTO operator members only.

The annual IGTM Golf Tournament will be held once again on 6th December and will be available to IAGTO and Golf Travel Writers Association (GTWA) members only. This year the tournament will be using three golf courses. Players will be allocated a course in advance by the organisers and transfers will be provided to and from all three courses and all official IGTM hotels.

Another new initiative to International Golf Travel Market will be the revolutionary handheld Spotme® device which will allow IGTM delegates to track each other on the exhibition floor. Services include the ability to locate the position of each delegate during the entire exhibition via a sophisticated radar system, send SMS messages and have available at your finger tips the names, company descriptions and pictures for all participants using the Spotme® device.