Golfers across the north-west region have the perfect reason to head to Sicily to discover the new rising star of Italian golf from this spring onwards following the launch of a new flight route from Manchester to the largest island in the Mediterranean.

Easyjet launched its new twice-weekly service from Manchester to Catania airport at the start of this month, making the five-star Donnafugata Gof Resort & Spa more accessible than ever.

Available all-year-round, the new flights are the third service that the low-cost airline will now operate into Catania – which is situated 90 minutes away from Donnafugata – with other flights already departing from Gatwick and Luton.

And with Donnafugata already served by a number of other UK services including Ryanair's twice-weekly route from Stansted into Comiso airport, a 20-minute drive away from the deluxe resort, there has never been a better time to visit.

Latest figures revealed by the award-winning venue show that the number of golfers visiting from the UK almost quadrupled in 2013 compared to the previous year, with bookings expected to increase by at least another 50 per cent in 2014.

Donnafugata also recently opened its new Darren Clarke Centre of Excellence, the first facility of its kind in continental Europe, offering expert teaching under the guidance of the resort's head professional Davide Terrinoni through individual and group lessons, and specially created two, three and seven-night tuition packages.

Guy Roberts, director of golf at Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa, said: “The UK has been one of our biggest growth markets over the last 18 months and the launch of new flights like the one from Manchester will help to increase the popularity of the resort.

“With two fantastic, and very different, championship golf courses and an array of other five-star facilities, Donnafugata has so much to offer and we're very excited about the prospect of welcoming a new audience of golfers over the coming months.”

Opened in 2010 and the venue for the 2011 Sicilian Open less than a year later, Donnafugata's notable recent highlights include becoming the resort was the first course in Italy to be invited to join IMG Prestige, an exclusive collection of some of the world's most celebrated golfing venues.

Other accolades have included both its courses – the Links and the Parkland – being named in Golf World's biennial list of the 'Top 200 Courses in Continental Europe' and the new 'Top 30 Courses in Italy' rankings released by popular website www.top100courses.co.uk.

Set in the beautiful area of Donnafugata, a natural reserve and famous tourist destination known for the imposing castle which bears the same name, the resort also boasts a number of fantastic historical cities nearby. These include Val di Noto, the heart of Sicilian baroque: Ragusa Ibla, Modica, Noto and Scicli. All of them are deemed fitting of UNESCO World Heritage status.

Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa has 202 rooms, an award-winning spa and health club, swimming pools and three restaurants offering a broad selection of gastronomic delights, well accompanied by perfect Sicilian wines to enhance flavour.

For more information on Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa, its range of golf packages for 2014 or to book a stay, call 00 39 0932 914 200 or visit www.donnafugatagolfresort.com.

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Information for journalists

Press release distributed by The Azalea Group.

Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa
Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa (www.donnafugatagolfresort.com) belongs to Sotogrande. Perfect for sports, relaxing holidays and important events in exclusive surroundings, the resort is located in the heart of Sicilian baroque with pure beaches. The hotel has 202 rooms, Spa and health club, swimming pools, three restaurants, eight meeting rooms and two golf courses.
Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa, Contrada Piombo – 97100 Ragusa
Tel: +0039 0932 914 200
Fax: +0039 0932 914 222
Email: nhdonnafugata@nh-hotels.com
High-resolution images of the resort are available for download from http://goo.gl/ggxHM.

For further information:

Pete Simm at The Azalea Group on +44 (0)1730 711920 or email petes@theazaleagroup.com  or

NH Italia S.p.A. (NH Hoteles)
Federico Filippa
Communication, Public Affairs and Social Media Manager
Ph.: 02 575551
Mob.: 345 3791419
e-mail: f.filippa@nh-hotels.com