Golf groups increasingly looking to stay and play

Holidays

Fresh from reporting an increase in the number of golfers booking at its 10 golf resorts, Redefine|BDL Hotels (RBH) – the UK’s largest golf resort management company – is currently experiencing an unprecedented number of enquiries for 2018 golf group bookings.

HotStats, the only provider of a monthly hotel profit-and-loss benchmark service, reported that the group was showing an impressive seven per cent, year-on-year increase in its stay-and-play golf business.

And it would appear, given the number of group bookings and enquiries taken in the last four weeks, that trend may continue in 2018 with market conditions persuading golfers to look closer to home when organising a golf break.

John Stuart, chief operations officer at Redefine|BDL Hotels, believes there are several reasons behind the upsurge in enquiries and bookings.

He said: “Without doubt, uncertainty with Brexit and the volatile nature of the pound has created a degree of trepidation in those organising group trips – and, I would imagine, with couples, who previously would have headed off to Europe without a second thought.

“And, when you look at recent issues with travelling, such as longer queues at airport security, an increase in flight cancellations and the cost of transporting a set of clubs abroad, it’s easy to understand why UK golfers would consider foregoing a trip to Europe in favour of a stress-free ‘staycation’.

“When you talk to the organisers they’re of the belief there are just too many imponderables currently, when it comes to travelling abroad, and, as the UK’s largest golf resort operator, it would appear we are able to fulfil the increasing demand.”

The RBH portfolio offers championship-standard courses in unique resort locations including Slaley Hall – voted ‘Best Golf Hotel/Resort in the North of England’ for the third successive year in the 2017 Today’s Golfer Travel Awards and host of 18 European Tour and European Seniors Tour events – Belton Woods, Mottram Hall, and Forest Pines Hotel & Golf Resort.

www.QHotels.co.uk/golf

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