Golfers are making the quick switch from the runways to the fairways as they take advantage of the Algarve’s extended flight schedule for 2018.
With Europe’s top golf destination just a couple of hours away from 30 airports dotted around the UK and Ireland, travellers are ditching the unpredictable weather and packing their bags more than ever before to head for the wide selection of top-quality courses in the sunshine.
Huge investment and expansion has taken place at Faro Airport in recent times, including the construction of a brand new €33-million terminal, which makes the short journey even easier – especially with so many inexpensive flights now available.
More than 8m travellers passed through Faro in 2017 and that number looks set to rise again in 2018 with a healthy increase of around five per cent already recorded during the first two months of the year. And the increased number of direct flights from Cork, Dublin, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, London Gatwick, London Luton and London Stansted, has made the gateway to golf even easier to access, as passengers plan their trip to the Algarve.
The Portuguese hotspot, which boasts 43 fabulous courses, remains a major draw for UK and Irish golfers, but with the extensive accommodation options, wonderful beaches and scenery, and so many attractions for all ages, there are so many reasons to visit the region at any time of the year.
Maria Manuel Delgado e Silva, Algarve tourism golf product manager, said: “With so many flights now arriving into Faro, it has never been easier to welcome our many visitors from the UK and Ireland.
“We have seen record numbers of visiting golfers from the UK and Ireland in recent years and we hope that our commitment to delivering excellence to all golfers will ensure the Algarve remains the number one choice.
“It is always a pleasure to see so many familiar faces returning to the region year after year and also seeing so many new visitors choosing to visit us for the first time.”
ENDS
About the Algarve, Europe’s number 1 Golf Destination
It’s hard to imagine the Algarve without thinking of golf, yet golf wasn’t born on this sunshine coastal area until 1966, when Henry Cotton first laid out the Championship course at Penina.
Fast-forward half a century and our alluring region has not only become one of Europe’s premier holiday spots, but also an award-winning golf destination.
With a staggering 43 nine or 18-hole layouts that can be played all-year-round, it’s no wonder the Algarve draws hundreds of thousands of golfers to its fairways each year.
The Algarve is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal, and more than half of its courses decorate the 150-mile coastline, which also boasts spectacular beaches, picturesque rocky coves, quaint fishing villages and a rich cultural heritage.
The Algarve is the perfect destination golfers of all ages and abilities, with something to suit every taste and budget.
Associação Turismo do Algarve (Algarve Tourism Association) is the official entity, appointed by the Portuguese Tourism Board, responsible for defining strategies and to promote the Algarve abroad. ATA is a non-profitable association, a joint-venture between the public and private sector.