Le Touquet Golf Resort, home of France’s #1 links course and a member of Resonance Golf Collection, has become the latest venue to join the European Tour Destinations network. Following a multi-million euro transformation in recent years, Le Touquet Golf Resort and its three courses are ushering in a new golden age of European golf travel, featuring contemporary comforts and a boutique style hotel. A century after Le Touquet was Europe’s most fashionable resort in the ‘Roaring Twenties’, the chic French hospitality and sandy beaches are once again set to become the envy of golfers worldwide.  “We are a very well-known and established golf resort in Northern France, especially among British and Belgian golfers,” said Charles Debruyne, Golf Club Manager at Le Touquet Golf Resort. “Our ambition is to build on this and attract an increasingly more international clientele.” Laurent Boissonnas, Managing Director of Resonance Golf Collection, commented: “European Tour Destinations is a stamp of tournament quality and we believe being part of the network will help create a step-change in our business, allowing us to tap into industry best practices, a wealth and breadth of expert knowledge, as well as the opportunity to learn from like-minded individuals.” “It’s an exciting time for golf tourism and the industry as a whole,” added Ian Knox, Head of Operations at European Tour Destinations. “It’s only fitting a venue of the calibre of Le Touquet Golf Resort is poised to take advantage of the global travel industry’s rebound, and we’re looking forward to working closely with them on attracting a more international clientele.” Only an hour’s drive from the Eurotunnel’s Calais Terminus along the A16, Le Touquet Golf Resort is an easily accessible destination for golfers from the UK, Belgium and The Netherlands, as well as international visitors flying into Paris with Charles de Gaulle Airport two hours away.  With its critically-acclaimed La Mer course receiving industry-wide praise for its recent restoration – which included the recovery of four Harry Colt and Charles ‘Hugh’ Alison original holes lost to the dunes during World War II that earned it a #22 spot on the influential Golf World Top 100 Golf Courses of Continental Europe ranking in 2021 – Le Touquet Golf Resort provides 45 holes of outstanding golf surrounded by a natural landscape of sand dunes, pine forests and big skies.  Its transformation has also included the building of a stunning contemporary clubhouse, designed taking inspiration from the vast beaches and dunes which characterise France’s north-eastern coast, and the complete refurbishment of Le Manoir Hôtel into a modern boutique establishment with 41 individually styled rooms, suites and bungalows. 

Venues gathered in the heart of the Provence Cote d’Azur region at award-winning resort Terre Blanche, to meet, learn and share best practice in what was the first in-person meeting between venues in over two years. Tourism and sustainability were among the key topics featured at the recent European Tour Destinations Annual Conference, as its network of world class golf venues prepare for an influx of customers this coming year. Joining established Destinations from across Europe and the Middle East were new venues La Hacienda Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort, Spain and Le Touquet Golf Resort, in Northern France. Across the two days, venues were joined by leading experts from the European Tour Group, including Head of Content, Will Pearson and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Maria Grandinetti-Milton, who shared key insights on innovative content and sustainability respectively. Ben Martin, Principal at global architecture firm HKS, and Emmanuel Duval from French tourism agency Atout France also joined the lineup of speakers to present global market trends from across the world of tourism and real estate. Ian Knox, Head of European Tour Destinations, said: “As the global travel industry rebounds, the European Tour Destinations Annual Conference is a fitting time for our venues to come together and develop ways to enhance their products and services.” According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), booking data indicates travel across Europe is set to increase by 80% compared to 2021. “In addition to the conference sessions and networking opportunities, our host venue Terre Blanche provides a world class example our other venues can learn and benefit from,” added Ian Knox.

Following the latest staging of The Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, global media attention now switches to the next host – Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome. General Manager, Riccardo Tirotti, tells us how excitement is building with less than two years to go, and how the media interest is already attracting waves of customers to the stunning resort.

Resorts across the portfolio of European Tour Destinations have reported a younger profile of property buyers.Real Estate Consultant, Sandra Ruttle, explains what these buyers are looking for and how they are much more likely to act fast to secure their home away from home.