The International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) is the global trade organisation for the golf tourism industry. Established in 1997 as a representative body for a number of the world's leading golf tour operators, IAGTO's membership includes over 830 accredited golf tour operators, golf resorts, hotels, golf courses, receptive operators, airlines and tourist boards in more than 63 countries worldwide.

IAGTO sits at the heart of the golf tourism industry, sponsoring the International Golf Travel Market, running the annual Golf Tourism Awards, commissioning regular Golf Travel Surveys, administering the Golf Travel Writers Association and fulfilling its function as the world's only international golf travel association.

The IAGTO Awards were first introduced in 2000 to reward a few exceptional contributions to the world of golf travel and there is never a shortage of candidates worthy of recognition. Many companies, organisations and destinations excel every year in delivering a great golfing experience to the golf traveller.

This year, the world’s specialist golf tour operators voted for Thailand as the ‘Emerging Golf Destination of the Year’.

Introducing the IAGTO Awards in association with Hertz IAGTO leaves it up to the world’s specialist golf tour operators to reflect the satisfaction experienced by their clients and to vote for the ‘Emerging’ and ‘Established Golf Destinations of the Year’ and the ‘Golf Resorts of the Year’. Conversely, as nominations for the ‘Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year’ have yet to make it into the mainstream golf travel programmes of the world’s leading golf tour operators, well-travelled journalists and members of the Golf Travel Writer’s Association vote for the latter.

Voting Procedure
IAGTO’s 190 gold operators from 35 different countries cast their vote for the award. Each operator was asked to nominate what they considered to be the best performing golf destinations for the year.

The 10 destinations in the ‘Established’ category with the highest average ranking are named the ‘Established Golf Destinations of the Year’ nominees, and the winners within this category will be the destination with the highest average ranking. Operators were asked to consider the following criteria: customer satisfaction, quality of golf courses and accommodation, value for money, professional conduct of suppliers, support from the local tourism industry and accessibility to tee times.

The IAGTO Awards Gala Dinner takes place during the International Golf Travel Mart (IGTM) – the golf tourism industry’s annual global trade show. The 2006 IAGTO Awards Gala Dinner was hosted in the magnificent Plaza Santa Ana located in La Vegueta, the oldest quarter of Las Palmas, capital of Gran Canaria on December 8, 2005.

Web site:
www.iagto.com