Golf, yachting, cricket?
Virgin Atlantic has announced three initiatives closely linked with sports tourism as part of its ongoing campaign to make its brand synonymous with this sector.
In conjunction with TravelMole, it is launching three sporting events covering golf, yachting and cricket.
For the second year running, TravelMole will launch the ‘Race to Paradise Coast’ Golf promotion in conjunction with Paradise Coast at Naples Marco Island, Everglades, Florida.
The top two golfers from any travel-related golf event can qualify for free for the UK final qualifier. The top six golfers will travel to Florida later in the year to find the overall winner.
In conjunction with the PGA, two club golfers will also travel after a nomination from their club professional.
In September the Mole Cricket Club (MCC) will travel to Montego Bay,Jamaica to take on an invitational Jamaican XI.
TravelMole will invite applications from the travel industry for places on the tour and will be appealing for scorers, umpires and tea makers.
Each team will have a ‘celebrity’ cricketer, as once again two places for club cricketers will be reserved.
Finally the winning crew at the Travel Industry Yacht Regatta, to be held at Cowes in September, will be flown to Antigua in November to take part in a local race weekend.
Antigua, the regatta sponsors, is well known for sailing week and its extensive yacht facilities.
TravelMole managing director Graham McKenzie said: “We have been working with Virgin for some time on many sporting fronts and we are now ready to announce the first wave of promotions that are aimed primarily at the trade but with a small consumer element.
“All the events will be launched within the next two weeks and involve sports that are synonymous with travel.”
Julie Brooker, Virgin Atlantic head of national sales, said: “We are delighted to be working with TravelMole on this. Sports tourism and the draw of sporting activity is a major part of our sales strategy. TravelMole’s willingness to be creative and use the global contacts that they have fits in perfectly with our overall goals.”
Virgin is already fast establishing itself in the sports tourism market due to its extensive work with the PFA, LMA, PCA, PGA and the VA Sports Tourism Forum.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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