This reputable designation places the 36-hole venue, an hour north of Barcelona, among an elite global network of PGA Academies recognised for their exceptional standards in coaching, innovation and world-class facilities. With state-of-the-art infrastructure and a team of highly skilled PGA teaching professionals, the European Tour Destination is hailed as having some of the best practice facilities on the continent, drawing Tour players, national teams and amateur golfers wanting to hone their skills and fine-tune their game. Duncan Rougvie, Head of Commercial at The PGA, commented: “Camiral Golf & Wellness, with its rich legacy dating back to its origins as PGA Catalunya, has a deep-rooted connection with The PGA. As Spain’s No.1 golf resort, it perfectly aligns with our vision for PGA National Academies, which are dedicated to delivering excellence and accessibility to golfers worldwide. “As the only PGA National Golf Academy in Spain, Camiral Golf & Wellness enjoys a unique status within The PGA’s exclusive network. This partnership solidifies its place as a destination of choice for PGA Members and avid golfers seeking to combine luxurious hospitality at one of their two onsite hotels with world-class training facilities and expert coaching.” Visitors to Camiral Golf & Wellness can now enjoy an elevated golfing experience at the newly designated PGA National Academy located at the resort’s Golf Hub.  “As one of the largest training facilities in Europe, the Golf Hub offers expert coaching from our team of trusted PGA Professionals – Enric López, Oriol Camacho, Phillipe Tourtrol and David Guarch – alongside cutting-edge technologies such as Trackman Range and GEARS swing analysis” said Flavio Papa, Director of Golf at Camiral Golf & Wellness.  “Golfers can also take advantage of a double-ended grass tee driving range with target greens, that can accommodate up to 130 players, ten covered hitting bays, and a 2,000 square-meter putting and chipping green with five practice bunkers.” He added: “Becoming a PGA National Academy is a mark of quality that distinguishes Camiral Golf & Wellness as a world leading golf training hub and we are committed to delivering an immersive and premium golfing experience for players of all abilities.” In addition, Camiral Golf & Wellness now offers over 8,000 global PGA Members the opportunity to create bespoke coaching programmes for both professional and amateur golfers, pairing luxury hospitality with the five-star facilities and industry leading technology in the picturesque setting of Catalonia, Spain. Situated just outside the culinary capital of Girona, Camiral Golf & Wellness is home to the five-star Hotel Camiral, a member of The Leading Hotels of The World portfolio, and the four-star LAVIDA Hotel. The resort features a wide array of dining options, including the newly opened seasonal Origin restaurant and the reimagined Camiral Bistro. Guests can also access the award-winning Wellness Centre, which offers next-generation recovery technologies designed to optimise performance and relaxation for golfers.

Costa Navarino has enhanced its position in international golf travel following a landmark year which has seen the sustainably driven destination earn a series of coveted global accolades. Key international recognition from a range of prestigious industry rankings and events – including winning five top honours at the World Golf Awards 2024 and hosting the Legends Tour for the first time – provided the ingredients for a successful year. At the same time, achieving GEO Certified® status for all four signature golf courses further underlined the destination’s long-term commitment to sustainable performance and development. Moreover, Costa Navarino is the first multiple-course destination in the Mediterranean to achieve GEO Certified® status at four signature courses – The Dunes Course, The Bay Course, the International Olympic Academy Golf Course and The Hills Course. This recognition marks a significant milestone in Costa Navarino’s long-standing dedication to fostering nature, conserving resources, adding community value and taking climate action. Costa Navarino recently made its mark on the international golf industry stage, with the destination emerging as one of the leading winners when the annual World Golf Awards were held in Madeira, receiving the top accolades of ‘World’s Best Golf Venue’ and ‘World’s Best Clubhouse’ for The Bay Clubhouse, as well as ‘Europe’s Best Golf Hotel’ for The Westin Resort Costa Navarino. The destination also retained its no.1 spot in Golf World and National Club Golfer’s updated ‘Top 100 Resorts in Continental Europe’ rankings, with further acclaim coming from the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) as ‘2024 Golf Resort of the Year – Mediterranean’. Costa Navarino also had the honour of hosting the inaugural Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy in June – the first major professional golf tournament to take place in Greece for 23 years – while 50 teams from 21 countries headed to the destination in November to compete in the popular AEGEAN Messinia Pro-Am 2024. Both tournaments are set to return in 2025. David Ashington, General Manager at Costa Navarino Golf, said: “From a record number of golfers enjoying our four signature golf courses and winning an array of key industry accolades, to earning GEO Certified status and hosting international tournaments of the stature of the Legends Tour, it’s been a year to remember for golf at Costa Navarino, and I’d like to extend my personal thanks to all the golf team for their continued hard work. “With the extended variety sports and lifestyle facilities that we have to offer in an idyllic seaside, historical setting, there are so many reasons for players to visit this wonderful destination.”

So far in 2024, this segment has accounted for 42% of all bookings[1], underscoring the importance of a targeted digital approach to ensure its continued growth. In a new multimedia feature, ‘Data-driven Digital Marketing’, Claudia Bowman, Head of Marketing and CRM at the European Tour Group shares learnings from the DP World Tour’s digital marketing activities that could help golf venues achieve new and repeat direct business, while the Head of European Tour Destinations, Ian Knox, explains how defined digital marketing strategies, including advertising on social media, can help capitalise on such a profitable revenue stream. “With an estimated 5.17 billion social media users worldwide who, on average use 6.7 different social networks per month[2], it is no surprise that social media advertising is on the up,” said Knox. “The opportunity to reach target customers with laser precision has never been more compelling – and straightforward. However, it’s becoming more challenging to ensure your message is seen amid the competition.” Bowman added: “Grabbing consumers’ interest, coupled with the fact that only 17% of them allow their data to be tracked[2], means golf destinations need to think carefully about ways they can earn and foster trust with existing and potential customers. “It is therefore critical golf destinations create engaging digital content, use multiple touchpoints to gather owned customer data, and funnel this information through customer relationship management tools to help earn customer loyalty.” READ THE FEATURE. ‘Data-driven Digital Marketing’ zeroes in on: social media advertising, data capture and content management, and customer relationship management, while sharing best practice examples to help golf venues determine their digital marketing strategies for 2025 and capitalise on the growing and lucrative direct online business segment.   [1]Future Market Insights’​​Golf Tourism Market Outlook for 2024 to 2034 [2] Data Reportal, Digital 2024: Global Overview Report

Pristine fairways, centuries-old olive trees and idyllic seaside backdrops of Messinia provided the setting for the international event – the highlight of the annual golf calendar at the destination, which won five honours at this month’s World Golf Awards 2024 including the leading accolades of ‘World’s Best Golf Venue’ and “World’s Best Clubhouse”, the latter for The Bay Clubhouse. Two hundred professionals and amateurs had the opportunity to compete on three of the destination’s four 18-hole signature golf courses – The Dunes Course, The Hills Course and the International Olympic Academy Golf Course – from November 20-24, whilst enjoying a varying challenge on each. Sanctioned by the Confederation of Professional Golf, with the support of the Hellenic Golf Federation and the PGA of Greece, the 54-hole pro-am saw golfers from across the world converge for five days of fun and entertainment. They had the chance to combine world-class golf with a wealth of unique experiences at The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort. Competition on the fairways was as strong as ever, with Spanish professional Manuel Morugan emerging victorious in the professional event with a winning score of level par, one stroke clear of Italian Legends Tour star Emanuele Canonica. Morugan said: “I feel amazing as I didn’t come here expecting to win. I have never been to a place like this and Costa Navarino and all the courses are unbelievable. It’s the best Pro-Am I have ever played in by far. The organisation was excellent, all the people here are so friendly, and I hope that I can come back another time and enjoy it just as much.” The action in the Team Pro-Am Event was equally as fierce with Team Nikopoulos from Greece taking top honours with a total of 262 Stableford points, ten ahead of their nearest rivals.   Away from the courses, the popular tournament offered players, friends and their families the opportunity to relax and unwind through a rich and engaging programme of social events. Among the activities was a themed rock ‘n’ roll evening on Friday night, before the pro-am concluded on Saturday evening, with a dinner and prize-giving ceremony. The evening was co-hosted by Ian Randell, CEO and Aston Ward, COO of the Confederation of Professional Golf. AEGEAN, the title sponsor, offered special airline ticket fares for the tournament’s participants, complimentary transportation for golf bags and complimentary air tickets to participating professionals. Alpha Private Bank and Athens International Airport were the event’s gold sponsors. The tournament was also supported by AerCap, Pratt & Whitney and International Aero Engines, Airbus S.A.S, Vodafone Business, Korres, Cellier, Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company Greece, Cenergy Holdings & TEKA Systems, Autohellas Hertz, Orilina, TaylorMade, Kokotos Estate, La Cucina, UJP Law, and Vourakis Jewelry, who crafted the trophies. Finally, TESLA sponsored the ‘Hole-in-one’ trophy.