Turkey swings for spain and portugal's golf resort crown
With the dust settling on another fantastic Masters, golf season is in full swing once more. he PGA tour will see five tournaments take place in May, followed by another five in June and six in July.
When it comes to golfing in Europe, the courses of Spain and Portugal have long enjoyed a friendly rivalry, with both countries vying for the crown of Europe's best golf destination.
The recent Avios Airmiles Value Tracker, which calculates the best value destinations around the world, saw Palma de Mallorca and Alicante take two of the top three spots (with Gibraltar in at number two) for value for money golfing destinations.
Portugal made fourth place on the list thanks to the Algarve's courses, with Lisbon ranking sixth (after Tenerife took the fifth spot). Spain grabbed one further entry in the top ten, with Malaga being ranked number nine.
While Spain may have cornered the value for money market in the Avios rankings, Portugal has just romped home to victory after being named the world's best golf destination at the 2015 World Golf Awards.
Martin Dell, Director of leading Spanish property portal, Kyero.com, comments: "Golfers are certainly not shy about spending when they travel abroad to play. Restaurants, shops and spas all do well when located near to a successful golf resort. Golf properties are also incredibly popular, with many commanding a price premium, particularly if they are part of an integrated golf resort development."
The Mediterranean favourites may have some new competition on the green, though, in the form of Turkey.
Integrated golf resort developments in Turkey have the second strongest mid to long-term growth potential of all countries in the European Mediterranean region, according to KPMG's new report, Golf Resorts in the European Mediterranean Region. While Spain, Portugal, Italy and France have higher levels of supply, Turkey has led the way within emerging markets and now accounts for 7 per cent of the pan-regional supply, with the fifth highest number of coastal integrated golf resorts in the region.
"The vast majority of these golf resorts in Turkey feature hotels only," comments Julian Walker, director at Spot Blue International Property. "Most privately owned golf property is not actually on the fairway but in residential developments near to one or more golf courses. But, as the report states, Turkey is capitalizing on strong tourism demand, aided by competitive pricing, so further growth and new resort projects can be expected in the future."
The KPMG report reveals that across the European Mediterranean region, golf resorts that offer accommodation in rented villas or apartments, often alongside a hotel, now account for more than 15 per cent of the market and continue to grow in numbers.
In a bid to grow its share of global golf tourism, Turkey's Western Mediterranean Development Agency (BAKA) and Turkish Airlines this year launched a scheme to attract more French golfers to the Antalya region, home to the country's golfing hub, Belek. It is hoped that many of the million-plus golfers in France, some of whom travel to Morocco and Tunisia to play, will consider Turkey as an exciting new destination.
"The knock-on effect of more golfers, whichever nationality, is a good thing for the local property market," said Mr Walker. "Belek's reputation as an international golf hub is snowballing, and more visitors mean more demand for accommodation, which increases demand for lettable property."