TORONTO – The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) has announced an official marketing partnership with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, a marketing body responsible for promoting the Caribbean island of St. Kitts as a travel destination.
The collaboration will see the tourism organization leverage NGCOA Canada as a marketing platform to engage with the millions of Canadians playing golf across the country and position the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis as a premier leisure destination.
There are approximately 5.7 million Canadian golfers who play roughly 60 million rounds of golf annually. They account for more than 1 million golf related trips per year, and are responsible for driving $19.7 billion in golf industry 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 and preferred destination for Canadian’s 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 world-class St. Kitts & Nevis 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. 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” states the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce.
“The NGCOA Canada is a forward looking association that prides itself on delivering exceptional value to our members. Our partnership with St. Kitts Tourism Authority will create sponsorship opportunities for our members, enhance the consumer golf experience, and help build awareness for St. Kitts and Nevis as a world-class golf vacation destination. This partnership is a true WIN for our members, St. Kitts and 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 5.7 million Canadians that are responsible for billions of dollars of economic activity – 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.”