Talking about golf in the Valencian Community means talking about one of the most non-seasonal sectors within the region's tourism, generating more than half a million overnight stays annually and an annual economic impact of 745 million euros.
These figures reflect the robust health of the golf industry, but they are not the only positive aspects. In fact, it's worthwhile to delve into the sustainability projects related to this sport and its health benefits to confirm that golf is an important tool to be leveraged.
That is why a meeting has taken place at the Font del Llop facilities between representatives from different areas of this industry, in which the enormous impact generated by this sector has been highlighted, both in its economic, educational and environmental aspects.
A day promoted by the General Directorate of Communication and Institutional Promotion of the Valencian Government that has put on the table a reality: the solidity that golf enjoys in this territory.
“It’s a fact that the numbers back up. Speaking in tourism terms, the low season no longer exists for golf in the region,” said Juan Manuel Verdú, manager of the Valencian Community Golf Federation and director of the Elche Golf School, who praised the work carried out by this entity to make known among young people and adults the many benefits of practicing this sport.
“Many things are being done well in golf in the region, but we aren't able to market our successes,” confessed Alberto Iglesias, director of Font del Llop. “We continue to carry stigmas and clichés from the past, but the truth is that it's an industry that generates thousands of direct and indirect jobs with a very positive impact on the fauna and flora of the areas that host golf courses,” he added.
“Some people still think that water resources are being wasted in the fields, but that's due to a lack of understanding,” said Roque Buendía, president of the Spanish Greenkeepers Association. “The water used, in many cases, can't be used for other things. And that's not even mentioning that the grass varieties are selected to withstand high levels of salinity and drought, and the significant investments in research, development, and innovation related to irrigation systems,” he added, shortly before describing the complexes as “a great green lung.”.
Samuel del Val, a former top-level professional golfer, shared this view, emphasizing the need for support from institutions and civil society to ensure that big data continues to drive "an Olympic sport that also generates returns at all levels." This even extends to the realm of health, as various studies have shown, and as María Jesús Peñas, a journalist with extensive experience in the world of golf, emphasized: "Its practice can increase life expectancy by more than seven years.".
SOURCE: Event Organization
