Press Release
The Association for Inbound Golf Tourism Philippines (AIGTP) is collaborating with the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) for their first joint Golf Cup coming this month. The inaugural PHILTOA-AIGTP Golf Cup 2025 marks a significant milestone as both groups host the first-ever golf tournament in support of the Philippine golf tourism.
Set on July 22, 2025 at the Villamor Airbase Golf Course, this landmark event carries the theme “Beyond the Greens” and aims to promote golf as a growing niche in the country’s tourism offerings.
Through this initiative, PHILTOA and AIGTP seek to strengthen camaraderie among tourism stakeholders, elevate awareness of golf tourism opportunities, and position the Philippines as a premier destination for leisure and recreational travel in Southeast Asia.
Golf tourism in the Philippines has a big dollar earning potential that has not been fully tapped due to exclusivity restrictions of private golf courses, connectivity/ road network, spiraling airfares in the domestic routes and other peace and order concerns in some islands in the country. there are 130 golf courses all over the archipelago and those located outside Metro Manila are willing to accommodate tourist golfers. In comparison, Vietnam just has 35 golf courses and more under construction but has been voted as the best golfing destination in Asia, with their golfing tourists contributing at least 10% of the 17.5 million tourist arrivals.
“This launch of the inaugural PHILTOA-AIGTP Golf Cup is a step towards unifying the tour operators, hotels, resorts, golf courses in coming up with competitive and attractive Golf Packages for the tourist golfers,” AIGTP and PHILTOA jointly said in a statement during the media launch held on July 2. “We come together united in developing this market with the aim of contributing significant growth in the golf tourism market.”
PHILTOA is an organization of tour operators and allied members actively involved in the advocacy of responsible tourism. Founded on June 12, 1986, the non-profit organization has membership that includes travel agencies, hotels, resorts, transportation companies, handcraft stores, and other tourism-oriented establishments and associations. There are 486 members as of June 2025.
AIGTP is a 9-year-old association registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with the mission of unifying all sectors involved in the golf tourism industry for the purpose of generating sustainable growth of golf tourism in the country.