Bansei, NWS Holdings walk the talk with boost for golf tourism

Tuesday, 10 February 2015 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

First group of 12 golf enthusiastic senior corporate executives from Japan en joy first visit to Sri Lanka following reciprocal agreement with Royal Colombo Golf Club and Tokyo’s Taiheiyo Club
More corporate executive-golf groups to tour Sri Lanka this year

The joint push by Japan’s Bansei Securities and Sri Lanka’s NWS Holdings Ltd.to promote golf tourism in Sri Lanka got a fresh boost with the first group enjoying the game over the weekend in Colombo. A group of 12 Japanese senior corporate executives including chairmen and managing directors were in Sri Lanka on a four-day trip, their first ever. Among them were Masahiko Kamata, the President of SBS Holdings Inc., one of the biggest logistics firms in Japan. The precursor to their trip is the landmark reciprocal agreement signed in October last year between the Royal Colombo Golf Club and Japan’s Taiheiyo Club, Tokyo under an initiative championed by NWS Holdings, controlled by Japanese investor Takashi Igarashi and its partners Bansei Securities Ltd., a Tokyo Stock Exchange listed company. Bansei also has a Sri Lankan venture Bansei Holdings LK Ltd., with investments in financial services and tourism sector.

The Japanese executives group arrived late Thursday and held business meetings on Friday and thereafter spent a day at Bansei’s newly opened resort in Hikkaduwa before enjoying a game of golf of Sunday. Bansei Chairman Toyohiko Murakami told the Daily FT that among the group were some of its clients in Tokyo as well as other business partners. “When we promoted the idea of business-sports-leisure trip to Sri Lanka, they were excited. The visit is important since it is their first ever therefore all these 12 corporate giants got a chance to explore Sri Lanka first hand,” Murakami added. Bansei and NWS Holdings hopes to aggressively promote Sri Lanka among golf-crazy Japanese corporate executives. Murakami said the next group is planned for May this year whilst some of the members of last week’s group said they will come on their own in the future along with business partners. Kazuo Kishino, CEO of Mirai-Juku Co Ltd., of Tokyo, Japan said he was impressed by his first visit to Sri Lanka. Kazuo, who travels to Thailand

or the Philippines twice a year to play golf and enjoy a holiday, said he hopes to come back to Sri Lanka once again and stay for a longer duration. “This is my first trip and it is bit short. I hope to come back again and spend more time. I am keen to visit the heritage areas of Sri Lanka,” he said. According to him, the Royal Colombo Golf Club is excellent and he recommended that Sri Lanka should have more golf courses. “ Fiji, a smaller country, has over 20 world class golf courses,” he added. The Japanese executives group were also impressed by the level of development in Sri Lanka as well as tourist attractions in the country. In October last year, the 135-year old Royal Colombo Golf Club signed a reciprocal membership program with Tokyo’s Taiheiyo Club which has 17 courses including one overlooking Mt. Fuji and 17,000 members. At present golf crazy affluent Japanese travel to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines to enjoy the game. Both RCGC and Taiheiyo Club expressed hope that around 1,500 members of the latter could be lured to explore and enjoy Sri Lanka and its golf. NWS Holdings as well as Bansei Group are aggressively promoting golf tourism given the immense potential. According to RCGC officials global golf tourism is worth over $ 2 billion. “Golf is a unique vehicle to promote Sri Lanka’s tourism. Royal Colombo Golf Club is a cornerstone of the long tradition of golf in Asia. It is a sanctuary in Colombo. There are few golf clubs anywhere in Japan which can speak of such a proud history,” Taiheiyo’s President and CEO Shun Han said in October after signing the partnership with RCGC.

Under the partnership the Taiheiyo Club members will be permitted to play on the RCGC course free of charge. In turn, RCGC members will enjoy the same benefit in Tokyo and moreover, the Japanese club will promote high profile players to visit Colombo. Taiheiyo Club has hosted the popular Taiheiyo Masters for the past 37 years as well as the World Cup of 2002 which saw iconic Tiger Woods playing for the US team. Now owned by Japan’s gaming and entertainment company Maruham Corporation, Taiheiyo also has reciprocal arrangements with Hong Kong Clearwater Bay and Macau Golf Club. Pix by Shehan Gunasekera