The 28th International Golf Travel Market drew to a close at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes on Thursday [Oct 23], following four days of business meetings, networking, and fostering partnerships across the global golf travel sector.
With 268 exhibitors from 36 countries, and 300 buyers from 51 countries across six continents coming together in the south of France, IGTM 2025 reaffirmed its position as the world’s leading B2B event for golf travel and tourism.
Buyers included more than 50 from the US and Canada, with strong representation from core European markets such as Spain, Portugal, Germany, Ireland, UK, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands, as well as participation from Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia, highlighting the event’s international reach. Destinations present included Morocco, Italy and Egypt, while the Oman Ministry of Tourism was among many exhibitors that made their IGTM debut in Cannes.
Debut attendee Maria Bengtsson, Club & Marketing Manager at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club in Sweden, commented: “We’re thrilled to be at IGTM for the very first time. The week has been fantastic – we’ve had so many productive meetings, connected with numerous industry contacts, and even secured five bookings for 2026 and 2027. Sweden, and Stockholm in particular, is a hidden gem for golfers, and IGTM is the perfect platform to showcase everything our destinations have to offer.”
This year’s IGTM also saw the launch of the Discovery Zone, a new area of the show that showcased emerging brands and innovative technologies shaping the future of the golf travel industry. Exhibitors in this area included Golf Drives, Golf Now, Priswing, 54, Sys Golf, Water Stations Ireland, and Sunny Cart.
Nahom Daniel, co-founder and chief technical officer at Priswing, a dynamic pricing software company, commented: “IGTM has been a tremendous success for us. As regular attendees of golf business shows, having access to so many golf clubs and industry leaders all in one place is invaluable – it’s a real honeypot for us. We’ve connected with everyone we hoped to meet and generated more leads in just three days than at any other event. We’re excited about the new format coming in 2026 and would absolutely love to return.”
Another first-time attendee was Masha Behl, a consultant at Indian-based golf business K&A Golf, who commented: “This was my first IGTM and it’s been a fantastic experience. Meeting people in person and discovering golf courses I wouldn’t have connected with outside the show has been incredibly rewarding – it really helps to build meaningful, long-term business relationships. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event – with our work spanning golf academies, retail, indoor golf, events, and travel – we’re excited to see the show expand in 2026 and bring the entire golf industry together under one roof.”
A panel discussion held in the Media Centre on Tuesday, which focused on current and future trends for driving revenue in the golf travel market, proved popular with journalists and delegates alike, with Giles Greenwood (Seventy2 Golf), Matthieu Camison (General Manger, Evian Resort), Arnaud Zunz (co-founder, Priswing) and Christophe Caporal (VP Sales & Operations at NBC Sports Next) discussing some of the most prescient topics driving revenues in golf travel today, including sustainability, experiential travel beyond golf, AI and data analytics, online booking, and dynamic pricing strategies.
Building on the success of this year’s Discovery Zone, 2026 will see the launch of ‘IGTM Discovery’ – an expanded format designed for the evolving golf industry. Alongside IGTM’s established golf travel sector, IGTM Discovery will introduce new complementary areas of interest to the existing exhibitor and buyer profile focused on technology, apparel, accessories, golf club management, equipment, and merchandising. In addition, the expansion will target an extended audience of PGA Professionals, golf directors, golf club managers and golf retail professionals.
Fiona Ashton, Event Manager for IGTM, commented: “IGTM 2025 has highlighted just how much innovation and international collaboration is driving golf travel. The Discovery Zone has been a real highlight, showing how new technologies and ideas are making an impact. With IGTM Discovery in 2026, we’ll expand into new sectors and audiences, and we’re excited to build the show in close consultation with our community of exhibitors and buyers.”
As part of the IGTM programme, the annual IGTM Golf Day on Monday combined business discussions with the chance for delegates to experience world-class courses in the South of France including Le Château & Le Riou’s courses at Terre Blanche, as well as Golf d’Opio-Valbonne & Golf de la Grande Bastide. Unfortunately a heavy storm passing through the region prevented all but a handful of golfers from being able to play more than a few holes due to waterlogged courses – although some hardy souls battled to the finish.
Spirits were lifted, however, with a well-attended welcome reception at the magnificent Majestic Hotel on Cannes’ iconic seafront that evening, where guests kicked off the week of networking and socialising that went on long into the night. A Happy Hour hosted at Morrison’s Irish pub in Cannes on Tuesday evening also proved popular with exhibitors and attendees alike, while Thursday’s farewell party, held at the JW Marriott’s Palais Stéphanie Beach, provided a suitably glamorous location for a final get together before everyone returned to home to build on the relationships that were forged over the week.
Looking ahead, IGTM 2026 will return to Cannes from 19-22 October, with plans already underway to evolve its offering and engage further with the global golf travel and business community. Throughout the week, RX has been gathering ideas and feedback from exhibitors, buyers, and partners to help shape the future of IGTM.
For more details, visit www.igtmarket.com