Every July, for two days, a select group of operators, suppliers and destinations come together for the GTE Convention. This year, the seventh convention at the imperious Saunton Sands Hotel & Spa brought lively talks, plenty of joy, and — we hope — the start of business relationships that will prosper for years to come. It’s a deliberately intimate event, with the purpose of creating real business relationships rather than just an exchange of business cards.
That intimacy starts with the setting, and real thanks go to Saunton Sands Hotel & Spa for hosting the event with warmth and professionalism. In his own words, Peter Brend, the Hotel Director said:
“The convention gave us the chance to showcase our property and Saunton Golf Club directly to the golf industry, and to build the trust that comes with genuine, working relationships with the industry’s top operators. Working with Andrew and the team at Golf Tourism England has been a real privilege, and we’re excited to welcome people to explore golf in the South West and experience true West Country hospitality.”
Jon Sutherland, the General Manager of Saunton Golf Club hosted the golf challenge and the whole team went above and beyond to showcase their championship links golf, leaving a lasting impression on delegates. He remarked:
“The GTE Convention was a fantastic event, as it gave Saunton Golf Club the opportunity to showcase our stunning, World Top 100 36-hole championship links venue to some of the top Tour Operators from the UK, Europe & USA. The anticipated benefit of this will be an increased awareness of what Saunton has to offer to golfers from all around the globe, with more visitors coming to enjoy an unforgettable trip to Saunton and the South-West Region of England.”
This enthusiasm from regional sponsors demonstrates the same closeness that keeps our valued headline sponsor coming back. Discover South Carolina returned for a seventh consecutive year — a partnership that says as much about what an intimate room of the right people can build as it does about their commitment to this market.
“Our sponsorship of GTE has always been about more than just visibility — it’s about the relationships we’ve been able to build with the UK’s golf travel community, and the value that comes with them,” said Peter Hannaford, Discover South Carolina.
Thanks, too, to Visit Devon, Tourwriter, Hotel du Vin, Castle Hotel Windsor, Burnham & Berrow and Royal North Devon golf clubs, for playing their part. And to Turtleson, sponsor of this newsletter and the GTE tops that drew no shortage of attention throughout the event.
What stood out most this year wasn’t any one moment — it was how many conversations in that room are already turning into something real. Tour operators meeting suppliers for the first time at speed-dating, already planning new client itineraries. A software platform that could change how operators run their business. Those stories, and more, fill the pages ahead. Peter and Peter both put their finger on it: the value here was never about scale. It’s a small enough room that trust gets built face to face, conversation by conversation — and 2026 proved that again.
Thank you for being part of it. Here’s to what 2027 brings next!