Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- (SBWire) -- 11/29/2011 --The website, http://www.mgta.com.my, contains over five hundred pages of targeted content, including extensive promotions for golf clubs and tour operators offering golf-specific packages, which showcase Malaysia as a unique golf destination to the world.
Internationally, golf tourism represents hundreds of billions of dollars worth of potential revenue with an estimated 60 million “golf tourists” travelling the world and discovering new experiences in their favourite sport every year.
Malaysia currently represents less than 1% of this market, despite boasting 207 clubs, many of them among the most challenging and aesthetically inspiring in the region. No other country allows golfers to play beside the beach, on top of mountains, in the heart of a bustling city, or deep inside a rainforest that is millions of years old.
Formed in March 2011, the Malaysia Golf Tourism Association is spreading this message around the world, now using their new website http://www.mgta.com.my. The site features a page for each golf club in Malaysia with photograph, detailed description and list of facilities, plus contact information.
Split into five key sections, the website is easy to navigate, attractive and enticing for the sophisticated, international target audience. The first section is “Events”, which profile top events such as the recently concluded Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia held at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club and the upcoming CIMB Asia Pacific Classic at The MINES on October 27-30. There are also exclusive interviews, comments and video clips including endorsements of Malaysia as a premier golfing destination from golfing icons such as Ben Crane, Paula Creamer, Nathalie Gulbis and current World Number One Yani Tseng.
The section also features unique articles about the best golfing experiences in Malaysia, both for visitors who follow international tournaments on the European Tour, Asian Tour, PGA and LPGA, or for those who wish to play themselves.
The “Clubs” and “Play” pages are intelligently laid-out so that users can explore the section according to their precise requirements. Visitors can look geographically or by facilities such as their par, yardage, whether they have caddies or if they offer night golf. There is also a map illustrating the exact location of each club.
In its “Stay” section, http://www.mgta.com.my offers a breakdown of the best hotels or resorts that are relevant for golfers, whether because they have their own course, are affiliated to a club, or offer transport/discounted green fees. Meanwhile, the “Explore” section details more than 100 attractions, spas, shops, medical centres, and sightseeing opportunities for families to enjoy during their stay.
This multi-level approach to sharing information and trustworthy travel advice sets http://www.mgta.com.my apart from any other website like it in the world, explains Paul Gibbons, Chairman of the Malaysia Golf Tourism Association. “Golf Tourists are choosing Malaysia for various reasons now. They want more than just great golf. They are coming here to enjoy our spas, our shops and – increasingly – medical procedures as part of an extended holiday.”
“The benefits of these golf tourists coming to Malaysia is obvious. They are big spenders and they indulge themselves in hospitality, restaurants, at malls and their travels across the country. However, more important are the benefits that these visitors feel. Malaysia is a wonderful country and these tourists enjoy themselves so much that they recommend the country to their friends. Soon, the world will know all about this incredible country where you can golf by the sea, in the clouds or in the jungle.”
The Executive Director of the MGTA is Chris Syer, a man intimately familiar with Malaysian Golf having worked in the industry for more than three decades as journalist, advisor and General Manager of Royal Selangor Golf Club. “I am very excited and pleased with our new website, http://www.mgta.com.my. Malaysia is a beautiful country and in fact golf in Asia actually started in Malaysia, with the first recognised club in Taiping well over a hundred years ago. Sadly, in recent times, Malaysia has fallen behind the likes of Japan and Korea, but the Malaysia Golf Tourism Association aim to put that right.”
“Since forming in March 2011, the MGTA have been working very hard to promote golf in Malaysia to the world. We have already visited Hong Kong, Morocco and Taiwan, so having an effective, striking website was an important next step in our plans.”
“On November 14-17, we will be present at the International Golf Travel Market in Belek, Turkey. This is the world’s biggest event for golf tourism providers and it will be the first time the MGTA have appeared there. We hope this will stimulate an increase in visitors to Malaysia and we look forward to hosting the IGTM right here in Malaysia in April 2012.”
This roadmap for future success is clear and the launch of the www.mgta.com.my website is a crucial component in the MGTA’s strategy. Designed, built and produced by Malaysian communications company Mongoose, has already received plaudits from MGTA members and users alike.
Matthew Bellotti, Editorial Director of Mongoose explains, “We are absolutely thrilled to be asked to work with the Malaysia Golf Tourism Association and I am very proud of the work we have done on the www.mgta.com.my website. Mongoose publish one of Asia’s most established and respected golf periodicals Golf Vacations, are the Communications & Events Representatives of the Royal Selangor Golf Club, and organise Malaysia’s biggest amateur expatriate golf tournament, the TNT-Expatriate Lifestyle Open, so we are intimately familiar with the outstanding selection of golfing experiences in this country. Malaysia needs to tell the world about her beautiful Golf Tourism opportunities and we are proud and delighted to be able to help do that with the http://www.mgta.com.my website.”
The MGTA website is already live and new content is posted and edited every day to keep it fresh and enticing. MGTA Members can update their own pages with relevant promotions to attract visitors, plus benefit from exclusive advertising promotions, there are direct links to each club, plus affiliates such as Tourism Malaysia, the International Association of Golf Tourism Operators, the European Tour, Asian Tour and PGA, plus a “Course of the Week” to highlight a particular club that is worthy of showcasing to the world.
About The Malaysia Golf Tourism Association
The Malysia Golf Tourism Association is a non-profit making organisation whose goal is to create greater international awareness of Malaysia as Asia’s Best Kept Secret when it comes to golfing holidays.
The MGTA work to bring more tourists to Malaysia and experience the magnificent array of golf from the mountains to the beach and the cities to the rainforests. Once here, visitors will be inspired by the myriad attractions, sights, spas, shopping, medical practices, dining, nightlife and business offerings. The MGTA is the portal for overseas elite travelers to discover Malaysia through a collective of golf clubs and tour operators, working together to educate and inform potential visitors, and address specific issues that will raise performance and ensure joint goals are met.
The MGTA works closely with Tourism Malaysia and the clubs and courses in Malaysia, as well as the media and corporate world to ensure a winning strategy that sees more golfers visit the country and discover Asia’s hidden gem.
The MGTA has an active presence at member clubs in Malaysia, industry exhibitions around the world, and communicating directly to the public via http://www.mgta.com.my and brochures in all Tourism Malaysia offices around the world.
About Mongoose
Mongoose is Malaysia’s fastest growing media house founded in 1997. They specialise in providing consumer publications (publisher of Time Out KL, Time Out Malaysia Guides, Expatriate Lifestyle, Golf Vacations, The Circular , Al Musafir and Esquire), web solutions, contract sales, contract publishing, creative marketing solutions, event management and PR. With a guiding principle of ‘Communicating with Integrity’, Mongoose utilises its international experience spanning three decades and succeeds in bringing editorial, design, marketing, PR, communications and web-based best practice to Malaysia.
Malaysia Golf Tourism Association Launches New Website
The Malaysia Golf Tourism Association (MGTA) this week unveiled a brand new website with comprehensive details on every golf course and tourism tips to help bring thousands more golfers to Malaysia.