Golf Tourism Industry honours Annika Sorenstam
6 December 2007
IAGTO, the global trade organisation for the golf tourism industry, selected Annika
Sorenstam to receive this year’s IAGTO Honorary Award. The presentation was shown
at the climax of the 8th IAGTO Award Ceremony that took place in Cancun, one of
Mexico’s emerging golf destinations on 6th December 2007 in front of an audience
of 850 golf tourism professionals from 55 countries.
The Ceremony takes place each year on the last night of the International Golf Travel
Market, the global trade show for the golf tourism industry. This year the IAGTO
Awards were staged in Ballroom of the Gran Melia Cancun.
On accepting the award, at the Annika Academy in Orlando, Annika said “I would like
to take this opportunity to thank IAGTO for this lovely award. It is a great honour
for me to join such a prestigious group of honorary award winners. I feel like I
have a good feeling of travelling and playing golf worldwide and I really understand
the importance of golf tourism and the enjoyment that golf travel gives.
“I am sorry I cannot join you tonight in Cancun, but I am sure you are having a
fun evening. I would like to congratulate all the other winners, especially Golf
Reunion here in Orlando, for the tremendous year last year.
Asked about New Year resolutions Annika added “I must say I have been a little bit
disappointed about this year. It has not really been the year that I wanted it to
be. Injury kind of kept me aside a little bit so I really feel like I have got some
more energy. I am looking forward to a more successful 2008. I am going to go full
core, just go hard for any victory. Obviously I love the majors – I just want to
have my game and get back on top again.
Asked about the Annika Academy and Foundation, Annika said “The Academy is obviously
very close to my heart. It is my way of giving back to the game of golf by sharing
my passion for golf and fitness and really it is open to anybody that wants to improve
their game and anybody who wants to reach their full potential. Then this year we
have created the Annika Foundation which I would say is even closer to my heart.
It is about helping kids follow their dreams.
Asked how the golf course design business was going, Annika said “I hope you will
get to see many more. I have just started to get involved in it and I am loving
it a lot. I am actually on my 4th golf course – it has been kind of worldwide. You
mentioned China and the others are in South Africa, one in the US and then another
in Canada.
Wrapping up Annika added “It has been a great year for me – not so good on the golf
course, but personally it has been wonderful so it is a happy time for me now and
I am a lucky person. It’s a great honour for me to receive this Award.”
ENDS
6th December 2007
Notes for Editors
Click here for more Photographs & Logos of the
IAGTO Awards 2008
Contact
Carlton Carugati – General Manager
IAGTO, 1 Trafalgar House, Grenville Place, London NW7 3SA, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8906 3377
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8906 8181
Email: ccarugati@iagto.com