St. Kitts Tourism Authority to strategically leverage NGCOA Canada as a platform to engage with the Canadian Golf & Travel consumer.
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS – The St. Kitts Tourism Authority announces its official marketing partnership with National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada). The collaboration will allow St. Kitts to leverage NGCOA Canada as a marketing platform to engage with the millions of Canadians playing golf across the country and position the twin-island Federation as a premier leisure destination.
There are approximately 5.7 million Canadian golfers who play roughly 70 million rounds of golf annually. They account for more than 1 million golf related trips per year, and are responsible for $15.6 billion in direct spending – $4.6 billion of which is spent on golf related travel and on-course spending outside of the country.
Over the course of the multi-year relationship, St. Kitts will work with NGCOA Canada to leverage the Association’s network of over 1,200 member courses, directly connecting with this highly influential and valuable group of travelers, while solidifying St. Kitts as a top-of-mind, preferred destination for Canadians’ golf and leisure travel.
The partnership’s core programming will be St. Kitts-sponsored “Club Nights” at select, targeted NGCOA Canada member facilities. Typically the most attended day at a golf course in any given week, integrating via “Club Nights” provides the St. Kitts Tourism Authority with a captive audience to build both brand awareness and directly educate consumers on the destination’s world-class golf and hotel properties. The partnership will kick off this spring with over 40 event integrations planned for the 2016 golf season.
“The Canadian passion for golf, and especially golf travel, is very significant to St. Kitts and a key driver behind our partnership with the Association,” said the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce. “With two championship courses, another in its final phase of construction and grow in, and the fourth now carved into the landscape, St. Kitts as a destination offers an amazing golf experience: designer courses surrounded by beautiful warm Caribbean sightlines and world class resorts.”
Intoxicating natural beauty, sunny skies, warm waters, and white sandy beaches combine to make St. Kitts & Nevis one of the most seductive spots in the Caribbean. From the tee, look east toward an endless sea. To the north, a dormant volcano is coated with a rich coat of tropical foliage. Few sounds permeate the setting, save for the soft rush of the perpetual surf. This is the sport of golf on St. Kitts. Whether it be Royal St. Kitts Golf Club at Frigate Bay, Irie Fields at Kittitian Hill, the stunning Robert Trent Jones II Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort Nevis or the soon to be opened Christophe Harbour Golf Club, golfers will find St. Kitts incredibly satisfying on all levels.
“The NGCOA Canada is a forward-looking association that prides itself on delivering exceptional value to our members. Our partnership with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority will create sponsorship opportunities for our members, enhance the consumer golf experience, and help build awareness for St. Kitts & Nevis as a world-class golf vacation destination. This partnership is a true WIN for our members, St. Kitts & Nevis, and the NGCOA Canada,” says Jeff Calderwood, CEO, NGCOA Canada.
The partnership stems from the integrated marketing platform developed for the NGCOA Canada by SportBox Entertainment Group, the Association’s agency of record for strategic partnerships. With the volume and purchasing power of Canadians playing golf at clubs across the country, SportBox Group and the NGCOA Canada embarked on a strategic relationship, building a framework that would provide brands with opportunities to directly connect with targeted audiences.
“The NGCOA [Canada] provides customized, scalable coast-to-coast access to 6 million Canadians that contribute over $15 billion in direct spending – that is a highly sought-after consumer for almost any brand,” said David Corelli, Chief Strategy Officer, SportBox Group. “This marketing vehicle provides an uncluttered and direct channel for brands, such as St. Kitts, to engage with a demographic that have a high propensity to spend in many consumer categories.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
