10/03/2025
The Influence of Belek on Golf Tourism in Antalya
1. Introduction
Golf tourism is one of the sub-areas of tourism where the demand for touristic travel to golf-oriented resorts has increased rapidly over the last twenty years. As a sub-industry of regional tourism, golf tourism has become increasingly important for the world in recent years. As an integration of these two tourism components is common, tourism establishments in some resorts have started to place importance on the development of new business, and golf tourism has developed in parallel with the development of cultural tourism. Therefore, in some areas, the economy is sustained by cultural golf in the region. Turkey is one of the countries that offers favorable climate and geographical conditions for golf holidays. Antalya Belek is one of the most important golf centers in terms of attracting golf tourists. This essay aims to examine golf tourism in Belek, the most preferred region for international and domestic golf tournaments in the Mediterranean basin. Adequately qualified staff, suitable for physical and technical characteristics, along with appropriate equipment for play and various facilities and organizations, meet golf tourists' expectations in Belek. Golf tourism is a profitable sub-branch, and the purpose of this study is to develop alternative policies by making a detailed analysis of golf tourism in Belek, which is an exclusive sub-branch of tourism. The total length of the study, including the key questions that it is intended to answer, is 38 pages. The determined key questions will help to explain the scope and importance of golf tourism in Antalya and to indicate the significance of strategic development in the region.
2. Historical Development of Golf Tourism in Antalya
Currently, golf tourism is a significant part of the alternative tourism movement. It is seen as an 'alternative' sport-tourism type, which is called 'golf tourism'. The globalization of golf tourism in Antalya is witnessed in Belek, which is 25 km to the east of the city center. To clarify the course of events in Antalya before the establishment of Belek, the development of golf courses up until this dates back to 1988. These vanishing times could have many reasons, but it is clear that the infrastructure of the required socio-economic and sportive tourism was not used as a marketing tool for Antalya. In 1988, there were no facilities such as golf hotels and golf courses used effectively.
A report prepared by a golf magazine in 1973 includes detailed information, suggesting that Turkey has the potential to host international golf weeks. In the events held in February 1990, four tournaments were organized including: World Open Amateur Championship, European Professional Tour, Skoda Golf Classic, and International Turkish Open. These events were important for many reasons. They played a crucial role in the beginning of international relations. The events also took place between the Fourth Mediterranean Games and the Unified National Holiday. Drawing an important path for tourism, many golfers and reporters who came to the homeland had the opportunity to see both the history and beauty of the golf course in Antalya. The influence of Belek over golf tourism has been recommended to be the result of a combination of the domestic and international tourism policies of the Turkish State and the infrastructural developments that occur because of the internal features.
3. Emergence of Belek as a Golf Tourism Hub
Early in the 1990s, Belek was a village only known by local people. Belek has become a widely known location since it has become a golf center for international tournaments, professional golfers, and rich golf lovers. There are 13 golf facilities in Belek, which is a tournament center and an attraction point for European tourists looking for sea, sun, and history. Golf tourism is tourism practiced by people covering long and short distances to play the game of golf. One of the reasons these golf activities are popular is that the weather conditions in the region are suitable for practicing golf for 12 months. In recent years, Turkey has become attractive for hotels, golf clubs, and many local and foreign businesses. There are continuous investments to increase sports tourism. Golf tourism in Antalya has grown even more with the first space golf tournament to be held in Turkey and the Mediterranean.
The courses in the region are mostly designed by famous names in the world of golf, and interestingly, some are in forests and some in the valleys of the Ta**us Mountains. Belek has 13 master-designed championship courses. The courses have been designed by leading domestic and international architects, including standout golfers who have ensured that the courses meet the finest standards and offer a robust golfing challenge. Three of the golf facilities in Belek are 27-hole, while others are 18-hole. All this is botanical but offers options to golfers. In addition, Belek is an important location in amateur golf in addition to being a venue for professional golf tournaments. May ITM Golf, which is attended by domestic and foreign golfers in Belek and has a prize, is also very diverse. The MU Tournament takes place in the category of amateur golf. Since 1995, the Belek area has also hosted the World Corporate Golf Day Tournament, where the business world comes together. All golf facilities in Belek are of high standard. In addition to the existing facilities in the 5-star category, 8-10 5-star hotels have been built recently. The recent investments in the Belek region in the accommodation, golf, and tourism sectors have exceeded a significant amount. The next region is Bursa, which has a new investment in accommodation, golf, and tourism facilities. A number of Purpose Golf community members visit the golf clubs and hotels in this region, which are part of the Holiday Club or have become part of the Belek Circuit.
4. Infrastructure and Facilities in Belek
Belek boasts the finest golf courses with a rich blend of design and green. National and international competitions and tournaments are held annually at these courses. Many special days featuring traditional golfing activities take place in Belek. All courses meet the norms of the international golf union with 18 holes. They offer golf lovers the opportunity to play on different terrains in a day.
Belek also includes a wide range of facilities that make a holiday here an unforgettable experience. Next to the quality and luxury hotels are golf complexes where one can spend pleasant and healthy times playing tennis, bowling, or fitness. One must also admire the modern design of international cuisine, the quality of service, and the bars of golf courses. Several investment projects have been undertaken in the region by the government and the private sector. Many of the amenities in Belek are newly built. Belek has been shaped to meet modern quality services, comfort, and every need of tourists. The infrastructure of hotels, touristic villages, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and cafes is adapted to international standards. The roads are of high quality, and the lighting and signs for drivers are clear even at night. With substantial finance, a special cycling path, which links all golf courses, was built. It is very comfortable for cyclists to take bicycles on the train.
In terms of accessibility, visitors can fly either via Antalya International Airport or via one of the nearby airports in less than 2 hours. Due to a competitive domestic flight market, packages including flights, accommodation, and at least one game are available from numerous airport destinations. The location infrastructure has evolved exponentially in recent years to facilitate the quality of the golfing offer. A fleet of luxury vehicles is available as part of the hotels' VIP service. In the train, you can rent a mountain bike for about 10 euros per day. The center of Belek is accessible from any golf course by the golf course shuttles, free and frequently passing mini-buses. The infrastructure is developed to provide several applications for an integrated golfing experience for visitors. Golf, as a leisure activity, must compete with other sports and tourism. In that sense, it must provide more—some extra satisfaction and memorable experience. This requires integrated facilities for the arrival at the club, check-in procedures, assorted environmental amenities, dining, entertainment, and other service facilities, as well as the staff, course conditioning, and so on. This means a strong reliance on and management of facilities.
5. Economic Impact of Golf Tourism in Antalya
Golf tourism has implications for the development and dynamics of the local economy of the Belek and Serik district. Together with the direct and indirect inputs, the annual financial size of the tourism economy is approximately €160 million. A significant amount of this goes to service inputs. The greatest share of service input from the gross product or income is distribution with 42.7%, followed by restoration with 26.2%, resorting with 18.6%, administration with 8.5%, transportation with 2.8%, luggage and exchange with 1.2%, and tour with 0.1%, respectively. The employment of labor within the extra production required by the investment is determined to be superior in generating additional employment.
In the Belek-Serik region, which has recently turned into a main golf center in terms of international standards, the number of European golf players continues to increase, making it a European golf tourism center. Thus, direct and indirect contributions are also made to other sectors identified from the local economy, such as in the region. Sales continue throughout the entire year due to the foreign exchange contribution. The average duration of the tourist's stay is 9-12 days. In other seasons, the average duration of stay is 2 months because of the increasing number of incoming golfers. There are negative impacts on the efficient use of other related sub-sectors. The rapid growth of the transport sector and the increasing prices have also led to the introduction of other means of transport in the system.
6. Environmental Sustainability in Golf Tourism
Belek’s and Antalya’s successes are not only based on their capacity for sun, sea, and sand tourism. They are also busy cultivating skies with increasingly popular golf tourism. The first and most fundamental condition for the success of golf tourism in the world is that cellar landscapes also apply to the concept in Turkey. The underlying factor in the establishment and development of such establishments is sustainability. Sustainability is the fundamental condition of balance between the economy, the environment, and society. In developing countries like Turkey, a balance between economic development and ecological and social sustainability must be found.
Some ecological factors must be taken into account in relation to the Belek-Antalya district, including the following: the natural presence of the golf courses may be affected; damage in the protected zone through urbanization or damage caused by tourist-intensive and constant movements must be considered. Golf courses may damage natural plants and wildlife species. Tourism inflow without barriers can result in damage to the golf course's local ecosystem or development in wildlife. City development in the Belek tourism center may be one of the most important threats. To prevent these negative impacts, the golf courses in Belek use integrated physical systems, system network interaction modeling up to ecology, and promote energy savings. Fulfilling economic goals is not always compatible with fulfilling environmental goals. The hidden profit gain, such as world perception and marketing-complex and diverse images of branding, is the least sustainable aspect in the narrative.
Courses respect the importance of ecological balance and very carefully approach the use of water, the application of pesticides, and the construction of the golf course, creating minimal impact on the natural habitat. One of their important environmental goals is skillfully using golf course irrigation, an important resource for water and society, playing a significant recreational and cultural role. In order to develop this kind of awareness, the importance and status of golf tourism activities must be internalized by the internal guest as well as by the visiting guest. At this point, the widespread and correct practice of sharing information about Belek with ecological awareness in all segments, from hotel to vendor, from agency to travel, is instrumental. If this transition is managed and maintained successfully, it will open new ways of living for future generations. One of the aims of humanity and tourism, one of the most important tools available to humanity, is to conduct a healthy economic system and conserve natural resources for future generations while providing these resources for human beings. The wide perception and applications of this perception, considered as a complete integrated discipline in the context of the basic principles of sportive service quality, are very important in terms of being qualified in alternative tourism facilities. Experience, rather than cognitive or factual knowledge, is critical for interpreting people's ecological values and offering a prophetic glimpse of other ways of relating to their environment, which are crucial for promoting environmentally correct golf practices. This commitment could be a prospective approach to marketing.
7. Marketing Strategies and Promotion of Belek as a Golf Destination
3. Methods The elements that need to be considered within the scope of Belek’s PR and marketing campaign for those who want to take part in golf tours should be mentioned. For this purpose, promotional activities will be discussed. Evaluations will be made about the results. Several promotional activities are carried out to promote the region, particularly Belek, in local and foreign media. The most widely used visiting journalists have prepared special features on Turkey and Belek in the media in line with the target audience. Within the framework of the news produced by the management company, the brand value is $16,340. No advertising value appeared in the media with a trading value of $2,451,384. In the first nine months of 2022, advertising value increased exponentially due to increased footfalls.
With various famous media companies, in the first nine months of 2022, digital media kits were prepared for brochures and a supplement that will be included in print and digital media. This magazine is distributed locally and nationally through various channels such as sales offices, advertising offices, fair activities, existing food and beverage outlets, inter-agency hardware, promotion, and external launch organizations. For the brochure, 800 printed documents are evaluated digitally. Online, national and local targeted advertisement campaigns were conducted on Turkey’s largest sports news site. In 2021, the number of clicks was 54, showing an increase of 35,000 compared to the earliest time. After digitalization, a participant campaign was prepared on platforms. Blogger and influencer work was carried out. With the collaboration we made with a Blogger/Live Broadcast Program Producer, we included the destination and the competition in the magazine published on the blog. Our region was promoted on the news page of the blog, and interest was generated by adding the magazine heading to the stream text. Posts and stories about Belek were published on an Instagram account on February 5 with the caption: “Golf Tour at Carya Turkey.”
8. Competitive Analysis of Belek's Golf Tourism Industry
Belek’s surroundings are of critical importance to its customer profile. This affects customer perceptions of service quality and the configuration of the product. Situated at the crossroads of three different kinds of climate, the variety of White Island’s landscape is the factor that most distinguishes it from other golf tourism centers. The white sandy beaches are long and the sea deepens very gradually, providing excellent opportunities for the development of water sports. Kayseri and Nevsehir in Turkey, in Belek and Cesme, each of which attracts different segments in the golf tourism sector, will dominate the winter season determined by the Mediterranean in Antalya; and it will lose its appeal in the summer months as Antalya will be the main center of beach tourism, and the number of tourists coming to play golf will decrease.
In the scope of this study, we will conduct a competitive analysis of the golfing tourism operations in Belek. This study will evaluate Belek in comparison with golfing tourism centers in other countries, as well as with other centers in Turkey. The focus will be on rival golfing centers along the Mediterranean and Aegean coast of Turkey: Cesme, Bodrum, and Antalya. Carrying out a comparative pricing analysis of Belek with Turkey and abroad, from both the facilities and customer services aspects, including yearly package prices. According to the majority of managers there, to enhance its competitiveness in this market, Belek should offer special options within some of the sources of income of the golfing tourism market. These experts argue that in research and development, a field should be found that will differentiate us from our rivals and show us as being different. Participants anticipate difficulties when marketing because of the increasing global competition in golfing tourism resorts. Alternative strategies in several possibilities will be proposed and analyzed to compete against golfing resorts in developing countries that want to specialize in golfing tourism. These research findings will be used by Turkish national and local policymakers to position Turkey as a better market for the golfing sector. Although Belek is well-known for its golfing market in the east, it experiences threats from upcoming golfing destinations. Industry insiders see a potential decrease of 15%-20% in golfing arrivals due to these dangers. The loss of golfing market share to rival destinations could have a negative multiplier effect on other tourist markets. In this framework, the government’s support of a golfing tourism project is more feasible.
9. Customer Experience and Satisfaction in Belek
One of the important pieces for the centers dealing with service is customer satisfaction. Therefore, the market research team focused on golfers and conducted in-depth interviews. Satisfied golfers have often positively cited the Green Course and Montgomerie Golf Course. Golfers refer to the greens, facilities, services, and the weather of the region in interviews. The golfers always emphasize the positive aspects of the region in general. Noise pollution, crowds, and a packed structure are not seen in the ideal location. In addition to golf courses, which provide the basic satisfaction of the golfers, there is a personalized treatment of the tourist. This is a factor that facilitates being desired.
Among the satisfied golfers, emotions draw a better point for the future regarding satisfaction situations. Certain customer groups want to develop specific services and products for themselves, while they emphasize the importance of the golf course and facility features. Customer satisfaction is a source of repetition of the purchase decision for the future. A customer experiencing pleasure and satisfaction continues to receive support for the goods and services in the future. This ensures the loyalty of the golfers to the region in the long term. It has been found that people traveling between locations are spending time visiting in their free time. Customers care about culture, history, and shopping in a different environment. Although there are no data in this process, there is also a deficiency in meeting the touristic expectations of the opposite party in the activities within the scope of free time. In order to increase the satisfaction and return of the golfers in their free time, it will be necessary to consult and improve alternative activities with other brands in the region. Touchpoint analysis will enable the development of physical and emotional activities within the facility. The experiences of the customers are improved, and it is aimed to eliminate three of the lines that will increase satisfaction: positive treatment, benefits, and memories.
10. Technological Innovations in Belek's Golf Tourism Sector
The golf tourism sector in Belek hosts professional golf events, ensuring a good income for the golf clubs. Technological innovations are beneficial in the golf tourism sector and are a necessity for more developed courses. In terms of golf, improvements are being made in golf course planning before construction, club materials, golf equipment, and the production and maintenance of grass for the biggest influences on players. Golf in the world between 1980 and 2025 is at the level of current internet connection and the maturity of the Information Age and Innovation. The developments are occurring more deeply and with an extraordinary variety of products that are new and that are being improved in a wide range of lines and fields of business. The internet and its resulting benefits and infrastructure are very important for golf, and they have been acquired by big companies. A technological approach provides benefits such as increasing and making it easier for golfers to join in the system, speaking to the interest areas of those interested, standardization, and easy access to electronic and paid-for information about golf.
The marketing phase of these systems has significant contributions to the operational procedures and services. The quick and easy transmission of information through the use of mobile applications regarding the improvement operations in businesses of all sizes operating in the golf sector worldwide is very important. Technological developments in golf course planning and design come to mind first as the primary factor affecting a golfer during the rounds he or she plays. When considering technological developments related to the establishment and maintenance of grass, high-quality maintenance machinery and computer software also attract interest worldwide. By providing service over the internet and on mobile applications, all details of the available tee times, prices, and booking confirmations that have already been set on the course can instantly be seen on a PC, TV, or mobile phone, allowing users to decide on the best time and manage tee roster bookings. Golf courses take advantage of all the features provided by online platforms and are integrated into the system. When the players arrive at the club, their pre-recorded details, an automatically created scorecard, and other details are prepared and demonstrated to them.
11. Government Policies and Regulations Affecting Golf Tourism in Antalya
2.1 Land Use and the Creation of Golf Courses The legislative framework regulating land use and land use plans concerning the environment and the protection of natural resources is well-established in Turkey. In the relevant decrees and laws, among the cultivated land in Turkey to be considered in class, golf has been listed as a recreational facility for various social, cultural, sports, and environment-related purposes that add to the value of the destination through golf tourism. Before approving desired or suggested development projects, Environmental Impact Assessment procedures have to be evaluated for negative developments that may occur in the natural, social, and cultural environment. An increasing population and the introduction of tourism facilities, mainly "all-inclusive" hotels in the region where golf tourism has been flourishing during and following the 1980s, generated serious pressure on the limited fresh water resources.
2.2 Supporting Tourism Infrastructure in Antalya The first half of the 1980s was marked by globalized tourism policies. Governmental legislative reforms and economic policies aimed at enhancing international competition produced affirmative results in the tourism industry. After 1993, international tourists, when spending their holidays in Antalya, dictated various settings and lifestyles. These circumstances have generated strict relations and competition among the European tourism industry, particularly leading to a dramatic change in the golf tourism market. In addition, the development of sport and special interest zones has been rejected. Bureaucratic processes and irrational regulations continue to increase the number of foreign tourist arrivals, negotiations, the introduction of a national golf tourism strategy, and an extraordinary increase in the discussion and introduction by various interest groups of controversial projects, enveloping the golfing-related tourism development for Antalya. A negative contribution to such plans for the development of supporting infrastructure and facilities for the future of golf tourism and a common understanding between the government and the tourist stakeholders are indisputable requirements. Recursive examples provide this evidence.
12. Social and Cultural Impacts of Golf Tourism in Belek
The social and cultural impacts of golf tourism on Belek can be examined from a broad perspective, focusing on the aggregation of local cultures in the face of different cultures introduced by international visitors. Embracing the influence of various cultures in the area, especially those based on golf tourism practices and interaction among the members, cultivates TCFs and brings benefits such as economic growth due to the multiplied number of visitors coming back. However, the social transparency and connection between the local community and golf tourists, as well as the instant contact between the inhabitants of Belek, who are local citizens, and tourists in a limited area, are quite low.
It is difficult to involve the local community actively in the culture of golf tourism because they feel they do not belong. The social and cultural products of golf tourism, such as festivals, golf courses, sponsorships, tourism, local press, and golf clubs, have been integrated or adapted with golf and other social and cultural practices. The limitation of this practice is due to the fact that it has been fully adopted without any amendments concerning the local culture. To summarize, although Belek has remained a sleepy village in the memory of locals and a hardly recognizable place by the inhabitants of Antalya three decades ago, Belek is a hot topic for discussions in a range of disciplines, from tourism and golf to urban economics via cultural geography.
The mediating position of Belek that includes the 'locality' of the place with regard to 'gilding the urban' allows focusing as much on local culture, place, and social and cultural change, as on the culture of global mobility and golf tourism. The development of both urban and golf tourism in Belek does not only paint an argument concerning the preservation of 'local culture', 'local identity', 'cultural change', or any 'neglect' or 'physical and social damages' of the cultural landscape. The dominant cultural landscape representation that occludes complex social relations may mislead an appreciation of the community-based cultural initiatives and connections due to tourism. Tourism and the local culture serve a varied purpose for academics as well as the community itself. Some defend the celebration of the local culture and the cultural advantages of tourism, while some argue for 'intercultural and participatory tourism' strategies and planning to facilitate the connection between tourism and local heritage.
13. Future Trends and Growth Prospects of Golf Tourism in Antalya
Section 13: Future Trends and Growth Prospects of Golf Tourism in Antalya
The decade ahead must witness a number of increasingly emergent and rapidly changing macro-trends that are likely to have significant impacts on the profile of tourism demand. This touches upon greening climate, digitalization, and changing tourist preferences, particularly in their behavior motivated by socio-economic trends. Addressing these changes will ensure a realistic medium-term scenario and potential strategies for the development of golf tourism in Antalya. Tourism activities have been significantly affected by substantial adaptive challenges related to global and regional changes. Climate change has had many impacts on natural resource systems, deteriorating environmental areas, and increasing the income of affected populations. Many climatic factors have led to increased heat, extreme storms, floods, and desertification, which have beneficial impacts from a geographical perspective as a general result of changes in precipitation. In this respect, it is possible to say that there are different impacts on tourist movements in the world and in Turkey. This impact should be considered in golf tourism, with handling and creating new demands using appropriate strategies being essential. As people's behavior toward tourism changes, the shift from mass comprehensive tourism to boutique and specialized tourism seen by changes in new consumer movements has also caused a rise in demand for selective tourism products.
The final possibility would be to have a static or stagnated period for golf tourism, closely linked to the resilience or the pains of the market, which may prove a big challenge for new or small-sized golf destinations or entities. However, the proactive approaches of various golf destinations could also trigger advances in sports tourism, niche market tourism, health and well-being, and/or eco-tourism through the use of golf. Based on these trends, golf would become a priority action for the greening of sports tourism as well as for sustainable tourism as a whole, aimed at improving the standards of living and supporting regional development strategies. As a result, it is possible to argue that scenarios for future changes in the golf market are innovative with a significant impact on libraries, business models, corporate management, and human capabilities required. But it will also be feasible to adapt advances in technology, illustrate social attitudes, and customer needs or values, and strengthen asset development. In a way, it could be argued that the ease of entry into sophisticated markets will change business development or business setting strategies such as training, partnerships, and business development strategies.
14. Conclusion and Recommendations
The purpose of this essay is to assess the influence of Belek on golf tourism in Antalya. Based on the findings of this study, it is important to continue the strategic development of Belek in order to maintain its international competitiveness as a golf destination. This conclusion is based on the results of two scenarios: the Porter diamond and SWOT analysis. From the analysis, the main strength of the golf tourism industry in Antalya is safety, variety of packages, and easy accessibility. However, the major weaknesses are education and training, availability of hotels, and problems with transportation. In addition, some significant challenges are the ease of entry into the tourism market and dependency on favorable weather conditions. The present essay also has some important implications for stakeholders in the golf tourism industry. Accordingly, the government's powers need to encourage and support the golf tourism industry with the aid of international and national support. Therefore, the government should also invest in golf tourism by improving regulations for foreign investment and property in golf. At the same time, the government should encourage Turkish investors to invest in golf tourism. The industry players are advised to provide a greater level of importance to technology and the internet for the future growth of golf tourism. Also, golf tourism organizations need to conduct continuous research to examine market trends and changes in consumer behavior. In other words, the goals and strategies of stakeholders need to align to create a generic market plan to enhance customer satisfaction and business excellence in sustainable practice. In conclusion, the analysis showed that Belek has created a niche of high-quality golf courses for the specific tourist who demands good value for money, sporting challenge, professional services, and summer weather. Thus, the demand potential for Belek is also good. Therefore, the potential scenario for Belek is to create an international, national, and domestic golf destination. SWOT analysis shows that Belek has a competitive advantage in several fields; however, Belek also has some threats and weaknesses. Therefore, strategic development for the international golf destination will be discussed. In order to increase competitiveness and success in the long run, the main approach must be a total company strategy, which can only be achieved by combining the efforts of all the stakeholders in Belek.
Muammer ALAN
