Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam aims to foster the development of golf tourism as it holds high potential for the sector and many foreign tourists are expected to come to the province to play golf.

The province has golf courses, favorable weather, and experience in organizing golf tournaments.

Meanwhile, local travel companies forecast that the number of travelers from South Korea and Japan to Khanh Hoa will be high in the rest of the year, with many of them interested in golfing.

Ung Van Nhut, chairman of Global Open Tour Joint Stock Company, said that Khanh Hoa has many advantages to develop golf tourism.

It experiences less rain so tourists can play golf all year round.

The province is home to many golf courses with good infrastructure, most notably a golf course on Hon Tre Island. 

The short flight time from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan to Khanh Hoa is also an advantage.

Nhut suggested investing further in golfing to make it a tourism product. 

He gave an example of a golf course near Bai Dai Beach that is easy to access but lacks night-time entertainment services. Meanwhile, the golf course on Hon Tre Island charges high service prices.

Nhut also recommended holding golf tournaments to promote golf tourism and attract more visitors. 

Khanh Hoa can organize golf tournaments at golf courses in the province or golf tours between its Nha Trang City and Da Lat City in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

A representative of Intertravel Tourism Services Co. Ltd. said that South Korean visitors are keen on playing golf, so the company offers 3D golf services which are less affected by weather and require low costs.

Venue for international golf tournaments

Nha Trang City will host the Vinpearl DIC Legends Vietnam 2023 golf tournament from November 27 to December 2 with friendly and official competition rounds.

The tournament is expected to attract 60 professional golfers, including Michael Campbell, the winner of the U.S. Open, an annual open national championship of golf in the U.S., in 2005 and the eight-time winner of the European Tour, which is considered the second-most important tour in men's golf; Ian Woosnam, the winner of Masters -- one of four men’s major golf championships in professional golf -- in 1991 and captain of the Ryder Cup, a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the U.S., in 2006; and Paul McGinley, captain of Ryder Cup 2004 and winner of four European Tour trophies.

The tournament, within the framework of the Legends Tour, a world’s leading golf tournament, will be held in Southeast Asia for the first time, meaning that Vietnam is the first country in the region to host the tournament.

The tourney will help connect amateur and professional golfers, contributing to promoting tourism in Vietnam.

In April, Asia’s premier golf tournament -- International Series Vietnam 2023 -- also took place in KN Golf Links Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa Province.

Nguyen Trung Khanh, chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, assessed that golf tourism has become a trend in Vietnam. The organization of golf tournaments will mark Vietnam on the world’s professional golf map.

“In the strategy of developing Vietnam tourism until 2030 approved by the government, golf tourism is determined as the main trend to boost socio-economic development,” Khanh added.

Golf tourism as well as other high-end sports tourism products have become new tourism trends.

Many investors have planned to build more golf courses in Khanh Hoa, according to Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, director of the provincial Department of Tourism.

In the coming time, Khanh Hoa will focus on developing golf tours and include golf in tourism services, Thanh noted.

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