Golf resorts are marketing for ‘staycation’ customers

A number of UK golf resorts, which traditionally market to foreign visitors, believe their customers for at least the next 12 months will predominantly be UK-based.

Managers believe that the current popularity of golf mixed with the lack of demand for air travel will result in golfers, who might normally holiday abroad, visiting UK venues this summer, and the marketing strategy involves detailing their hygiene credentials.

On July 15 the QHotels Group reopened the last of its seven resorts, and a spokesman for the company said: “With overseas travel still uncertain, Brits will be longing for an escape of some sort after months of being cooped up at home in lockdown.

“Staycations are set to be the theme of 2020 and into 2021, with tourists set to swap air travel for road trips and make their way across the country.”

The Manor House in Wiltshire is also marketing itself this summer as the ‘ultimate staycation’.

Golf club manager, Andrew Ryan, said: “We are fortunate to be located in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, which is perfect for Brits looking to get away for some well-needed leisure time and relaxation after months of being cooped up at home.

The Manor House

“With golf becoming a phenomenon across the UK, there are more golfers looking to get away with their friends for a golf break – and at a time where overseas travel is still uncertain, The Manor House provides a fantastic alternative, as our surroundings are unique from the rest of the country and we also offer a brilliant challenge for golfers of all abilities.”

The Manor House’s overnight accommodation facilities have all now reopened with strict safety precautions in place, including thorough cleaning regimes and hygiene regulations to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other possible infections. The hotel will be stringently following all advice and guidelines from the UK government and Public Health England on PPE and physical distancing measures.

Similarly, to help appeal to UK golfers, QHotels’ golf resorts have implemented their own initiative, ‘Clean+Safe’, which includes accreditation from its Shield Safety Group and will ensure that all the hotels are listed on the ‘Safe to Trade Register’.

The Clean+Safe programme covers everything from ensuring any barriers are open at all car parks when guests arrive to a no-checkout policy when they leave.

Group CEO of QHotels, Richard Moore, said: “The key thing to remember is that we are in the hospitality sector, not hospitals. We must remember that although our guests rightly expect to us to provide a clean and safe environment, they don’t wish to be constrained at every step. We must be both responsible and reasonable. On balance, however, we must provide an environment that engages positively with our guests so they choose to return.

“Guests will expect a 100 percent performance from day one and rightly so. For many of our guests this will feel like the first day of freedom and we are committed to ensuring that their experience lives up to the expectation.

“Inviting people into our hotels demands a degree of mutual trust. We trust our customers to be responsible in respect of their own health and others, they trust us to provide a safe environment. We have set very high standards of cleanliness and safety, together with practical guidance for our teams on how best to implement. The safety of our employees, guests and visitors is imperative and we have used the time while closed to explore the best way to move forward in preparation to open our doors.”