October 9, 2015 – The 16th annual IAGTO Awards took place at Tenerife’s Siam Park, at a gala dinner attended by 1,400 golf tourism industry peers on the final night of the 2015 International Golf Travel Market.

IAGTO Chief Executive Peter Walton said: “Only a handful of golf courses, golf resorts and golf destinations receive an IAGTO Award each year, which makes this such a special event and a great achievement for each of the recipients.

“The IAGTO Awards are respected throughout the industry not only because they have been going 16 years, but because they reflect the experiences of the 1.8 million people who IAGTO operators carry on golf holidays each year.”

The 2016 Honorary Award recipient was 2005 US Open winner, New Zealand’s, Michael Campbell, who flew in from Spain’s Costa del Sol, where he oversees the Michael Campbell Golf Academy at Villa Padierna Golf Resort, to attend the awards dinner.

“I’m truly humbled and full of gratitude to receive this award,” Michael Campbell said. “To be mentioned in the same sentence as the previous winners of this prestigious award – among them such golfing greats as Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and the much-lamented Seve Ballesteros – is a great honour.”

The 2016 IAGTO Sustainability Awards, which are run in conjunction with GEO (Golf Environment Organization), were also announced at the gala dinner.

2016 IAGTO Awards Winners

• Golf Destination of the Year – North America: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
• Golf Destination of the Year – Latin America & Caribbean: Dominican Republic
• Golf Destination of the Year – Africa & Gulf States: Mauritius
• Golf Destination of the Year – Europe: Lisboa Golf Coast, Portugal
• Golf Destination of the Year – Asia & Australasia: Vietnam
• Golf Resort of the Year – Europe: Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort, Portugal

• Golf Resort of the Year – North America: Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Florida

• Golf Resort of the Year – Rest of the World: Banyan The Resort Hua Hin, Thailand

• Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year: Tasmania
• IAGTO Honorary Award: Michael Campbell

2016 IAGTO Sustainability Awards Winners

• Sustainable Golf Course of the Year – Europe, Middle East & Africa: La Galiana Golf, Spain

• Sustainable Golf Course of the Year – Americas: PGA National Resort & Spa, Florida

• Sustainable Golf Course of the Year – Asia: Mission Hills Haikou, China