BARBADOS is planning to be a major player in the game of Sports Tourism and Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch is pitching the island's project with this in mind.

Barbados scored another first on the international sporting calendar as the island prepares to stage the World Cup of Golf just three months before the Cricket World Cup comes to the region. It will be the first time the golfing showpiece will be played in the eastern Caribbean.

Minister of Tourism, Noel Lynch said the tournament will bring exposure to a high-end market which the island could not pay for.

"When you look at the profile of people who play golf and stack that up against what we want to do, you would realise the game is played by a set of people in a particular socio-economic bracket, which profiles well with Barbados," Lynch said.

Benefits from the tournament will not be only for the posh Sandy Lane and the prestigious golf course. The other courses on the island will be used for warm-up events, and with closeto 1 000 fans expected, other hotels will also benefit.