The Hanoi Golf & Cultural Exchange Week 2022 kicked off on October 17 with the expectation that the event will become an annual occasion for domestic and international golfers.

Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Tourism Association (second, right), and Nguyen Minh Duc, Editor in Chief of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper (third, right) at the opening of the Hanoi Golf & Cultural Exchange Week 2022. Photo: Pham Hung

The event runs between October 17 and October 23, 2022, drawing the participation of more than 400 non-professional golf players, including business executives and representatives of hospitality facilities, tourism agencies and international organizations.

"The Vietnam Tourism Association highly appreciates the idea of organizing the Hanoi Golf Tourism Week," Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said at the opening ceremony of the sport-tourism event.

"The event is quite meaningful as it will connect owners and investors of golf courts with tourism companies as well as assist the exchange between domestic and international players," she said.

"If we can expand golf-playing activities in Hanoi and Vietnam, the country may see a boost in its socio-economic development," Lan said.

Making the event an annual occasion requires the organizers more time to prepare and promote the event's brand in a more professional way, she suggested.

Singaporean players took part in the opening day of the event. Photo: Pham Hung

“For professional golfers to accept our invitation and join the event, we have to give them some time in advance to make a decision,” she said.

Lan also recommended the event organizers connect with other provinces to promote various visiting sites for golfers, especially localities being home to international award-winning golf courses in Ha Nam and Ninh Binh provinces.

This connection would draw more visitors, she said.

“Stakeholders should discuss how to well-organize similar events for domestic and international golf players in Vietnam, thus facilitating tourism companies to develop their plans to bring visitors to the country.”

Anthony Lim, a Singaporean businessman, said this is the first time he is in Hanoi to play golf.

Vietnam has some friendly golf courses in HCM City and Da Nang, which may be in the same league as courses in Bangkok, he said.

A Singaporean golfer on the court. Photo: Pham Hung

“We hope we will enjoy it (playing golf),” Anthony said.

“There is a propensity to Singapore for people to come and enjoy golf in Vietnam, whether it (the venue) is in Hanoi, Da Nang and HCM City. The more propensities you have, tour agencies can organize more golfers from Singapore to come here and play.”

It is a matter of how you do the marketing to Singaporean golfers, so they come and play, he added. “If you do more marketing to the Singaporean, they will learn more about nice courts in Hanoi and Vietnam, and then, of course, they will come.”

“This is the first trip after the Covid-19 pandemic,” Anthony said. “We will come and play again (if the event becomes annual) and promote the event to others in Singapore and bring many people here.”

The Hanoi Golf Tourism Week 2022, co-hosted by the Vietnam Golf Tourism Association and the Kinh te & Do thi (Economic and Urban) Newspaper, takes place at the BRG Kings Island Golf Resort in Dong Mo, Son Tay Town, Hanoi.