As the pioneers of a niche in the travel industry, Peter Ngion and his wife Corrine look suitably flamboyant, from the blonde tips of their dyed hair to neon-colored bell bottoms. Both Ngion and his wife run TravelGolf & Leisure Services Pte Ltd, a golf travel agency that specializes in bringing avid golfers to the most scenic, beautiful or exotic golf courses around the world.
When asked about how the business took off, Ngion, who plays golf about four to five days a week, says, “Golf is a sport that comes with many requirements. To play at a club, you need to go as a team, through an agent. But 12 years ago, golf was considered an expensive sport — most of the golf courses, whether local or overseas, were exclusive to club members only. In order to get competitively-priced packages for customers, we approached airline companies for tie-ups. The support of the airline companies also created a channel for us to approach the clubs in order to get access for our customers.”
The company’s travel packages go beyond the usual destinations of Malaysia, Indonesia and China to places such as South Africa and Mongolia. They have even made a trip to North Korea, which was planned to coincide with the hugely popular annual Arirang live show. This is a value-added dimension of the packages — whenever possible, the trips are planned around big events such as Formula 1 races and World Cup matches.
Counting corporate organizations as a bulk of its clientele, the company also organizes corporate golf tournaments.
