A lot of tourism initiative has been recently launched which helps in restoring and conserving the ecology and also promote responsible and sustainable tourism. One such tourism initiative is sports tourism which is aimed to promote the conversation and preservation of wildlife by promoting eco friendly sports. Sports tourism helps in spreading awareness about preserving the flora and fauna and at the same time provides immediate financial uses for conserving the ecology and also engages the local and host communities in ecological conservation of wildlife and plants (Chiutsi et al. 2011).
The first forms of sports tourism surfaced in the old world and have been witnessed in the Olympic events wherein participants travelled to the destination for playing the sport. Now the scenario has changed with participants and spectators both travelling to a destination in order to either watch or participate in a sport. With added support from the government, sports tourism is gaining immense popularity in most destinations.
One of the upcoming destinations for sports tourism is Abu Dhabi. The government of United Arab Emirates is trying to promote the emirate. The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship is one of the main sports which are being promoted as this helps to attract tourists to this nation. The year 2010, had a viewership of around 400 million people for the championship. Also excellent golfing properties have been established in Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Yas Links. These properties have been aimed to target high end tourists internationally. The main intention to woo golfers to this nation is the fact that golf tourists spend twice the amount spent by other tourists.
The nation is providing scenic landscapes, large club houses and manicured gardens to golfers. The unique selling point is providing dessert golf courses to the visitors wherein golf is played on sandy stretches instead of lush green grass (Abu Dhabi, 2013). The essay will discuss mainly about promoting golf in Abu Dhabi. The nation is aiming to earn increased revenue by attracting international high end tourists to the nation and is hence popularising the sport.
References
Abu Dhabi, 2013. Modern sports in Abu Dhabi, viewed February, 13, 2013 from http://www.abudhabi.ae/egovPoolPortal_WAR/appmanager/ADeGP/Citizen?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=p_citizen_homepage_hidenav&did=148534&lang=en
Chiutsi, S., Mukoroverwa, M., Karigambe, P. & Mudzengi, B.K., 2011. The theory and practice of ecotourism in Southern Africa. Journal of Hospitality Management & Tourism, 2(2), 14 – 21.
