UAE-Based Golf Citizen Expands Its Services In Vietnam Following An Exclusive Tie-Up With UniGolf
Golf Citizen, one of the most comprehensive booking and management platform for golf clubs and fans across the world, is now offering golfers the chance to explore and experience almost every golf course in Vietnam.
The southeast Asian nation on the South China Sea has already become one of the most favoured tourist destinations in the world and with a number of award-winning golf courses and new developments constantly adding to the varied landscape of the country, it is also wowing golf fans.
According to United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) annual report on global travel and tourism last year, Vietnam was the third fastest growing tourism destination in the world with an increase of 29.1 per cent in the number of visitors.
In a first for Golf Citizen, the company has entered into an agreement with UniGroup Service and Commercial Company Limited (UniGolf) to provide unparalleled service and support for golfers when visiting Vietnam. Both Golf Citizen and UniGolf are members of IAGTO.
UniGolf has been in operation for more than six years in Vietnam and specializes in golf booking and golf travel operator. They are the leading partners of nearly 50 golf courses across the country and constantly adding new golf courses. They were named ‘Vietnam’s Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator’ four years in row from 2015-2018 and ‘Vietnam’s Best Inbound Golf Tour Operator 2015’ by World Golf Awards.
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Founder and CEO and the man behind Golf Citizen, said: “We are delighted to have UniGolf as our partners in Vietnam. They have plenty of experience as golf tour operators in the region and will provide dedicated staff to look after our Golf Citizen members.
“Ease of access and service are the key to everything that we do. Unlike many of our competitors, we’d like our members to have the comfort of knowing they can speak to a person in case they want anything extra or amend their booking.
“As we expand our offerings in the future, we will be looking to appoint more Agents who have first-hand knowledge of the region in which they operate in.
“Morocco and Cambodia will be our next destinations where we are in the process of appointing Agents. We are in conversation with prospective Agents in other countries as well.
“The aim is to find an Agent for each country, or more than one if the country is very large. We will not be dealing directly with clubs in a country where we have an Agent.”
Among the various golf courses that have caught the attention of golf fans are two Greg Norman designed courses – The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip and Brg Da Nang Golf Club – both of which were named in the Golf Digest’s Top-100 golf courses in the world last year. Several other well-known designers and legends of the game have created their masterpieces in the country, including Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Ernie Els and Nick Faldo.
Jamie Bao Nguyen, founder of UniGolf, added: “This collaboration between UniGolf and Golf Citizen represents a tremendous value to both of us in providing an innovative, industry-leading platform on golf tourism.
“We share the same vision of bringing a superior and convenient golfing experience to golfers from across the globe, while being committing to provide the most competitive prices and a deep understanding of the local market.”
The effectiveness and the ease of use of Golf Citizen was ratified by the Asian golf industry when it won the ‘Best Innovation Award’ at the 12th edition of the prestigious Asian Golf Awards at the Asia Pacific Golf Summit late last year.
By becoming a Golf Citizen member, golfers can enjoy hassle-free games in some of the leading golf courses in the UAE, Thailand, Oman, Cambodia and Laos, apart from Vietnam. Many other courses in different countries, including China, are about to join that list soon.
Golf clubs and organisers can also use the platform as a complete tournament management system (from receiving entries to making draw to live scoring and post-tournament media), as well as a powerful internal communications tool. The free, online classified section is a great way for clubs, suppliers and fans to buy and sell equipment and other golf-related products.
