Can A Championship Golf Course Open Up Year-Round Tourism in Ibiza?
As the tourist season in Ibiza now extends from five to seven months due to clubs opening and closing a month later, the island is on the precipice of becoming a 12-month destination. Already, hiking, cycling, and athletic events are being held in the traditional off-season shoulder months, attracting national tourists due to affordability and a milder climate. Golf is now being seen as a viable tourist product that can open up the island and create employment and business opportunities during the off-season.
The issue of a championship golf course in Ibiza has already been proposed by Grupo Matutes, which identified three locations, Playa den Bossa, Cala Conta and Benimusa. However, environmentalists and some elected officials used it as a political football, playing to their respective galleries, and the plan was sidelined as the Matutes Group focused on building the Ushuaia, Hi, and UNVRS brands.
Traditionally, the island worked for six months and rested for six months. This culture reflects a popular viewpoint in Spain: work to live, not live to work. However, the island and Spain have changed much over the past three decades. Olive and almond fincas in the countryside are being abandoned as the youth move to urban areas in search of better opportunities and jobs. Even the traditional Spanish siesta is in danger of being abolished, with government initiatives aiming to move towards a 9-to-5 workday to boost productivity and improve work-life balance. They also propose to shift Spain’s time zone from Central European Time back to Greenwich Mean Time.
In Spain, Ibiza is one of the fastest-growing business areas. Property prices have soared, with the island consistently in the top three most expensive areas to live. In my opinion, it has passed the point of no return from its simple days as an agricultural subsistence island. It is progressing into a luxury destination like Monaco and Marbella. The latter has developed its golf tourism product to such an extent that it is known as the Costa del Golf. Many of its 20 top-tier courses utilise reclaimed wastewater from desalination plants to irrigate their greens. In Ibiza, there is enough recycled water to service eight golf courses and at present this water, the product of human waste is being piped out to sea.
Strong demand for discounted rooms.
Purponents of Ibiza’s golf tourism business model claim that this recycled water, not fit for human consumption, can be diverted to golf courses and, via a further natural filtration process through the soil, can raise the island’s water table, which is at record low levels. Rainwater harvesting and the use of Bermuda grass which requires 30% less water are other reasons why they promote Golf as a sustainable tourist product. One of the most costly factors in the Hotel industry is the seasonal process of opening and closing of Hotels. Playa den Bossa alone hosts up to fourty registered hotels and apartments with a high concentration of four and five star establishments. It would be the ideal location to open a nearby championship golf course.
For many of the X Generation who visited Ibiza in the peseta era, when prices were a fraction of what they are today, cost has effectively shut them out of the market during the summer months. We cannot justify paying €200 for a room that cost us €20 in the 90s. Food, beverages, club tickets, and transport costs are all inflated in the summer months due to economic forces of supply and demand. In the post-COVID era, to recoup two years of lost revenue, clubs extended their seasons, opening in April and closing in October. While many questioned this direction, Hotels and businesses reported a strong demand for discounted rooms. If the price was right, seasoned tourists were happy to travel to the island in the off-season months to experience the real Ibiza without the crowds and craziness of the summer months.
Tourism officials should do more to promote and highlight the islands’ local maritime and natural culture in the off-season. If you time it right, there are several food- and music-themed festivals that appeal to price-conscious consumers. The opening of a championship golf course would attract a high-spending clientele, with a knock-on effect on local businesses and service providers. If the money is there, Ibiza will always provide a market to service it. While Golf isn’t my speciality, I have seen how Golf Tourism has benefited our tourism industry in Ireland by creating jobs and keeping hotels open in winter, with discounted rates attracting older, price- and value-conscious tourists.
The clubbing market has dominated the Ibiza tourism industry in recent years. Many on the island feel it’s time for it to diversify its product, especially during the off-season and shoulder months. The island is rich in maritime and natural beauty; it just needs a stage to advertise it. Golf tourism has the financial and political backing to provide this platform, and development land has already been identified. Working together, they can be a formidable force, and I feel it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a reality.
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