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NFL stadium tours start at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October
25Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events

NFL stadium tours start at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October

American football fans in the UK can now book the chance to go on an NFL stadium tour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.  The “NFL Experience” - the first NFL stand-alone visitor attraction outside of the United States - starts on 7 October and bookings can be made for selected dates and times throughout October and November.  NFL fans can enjoy a 90-minute guided tour, which includes access to the NFL Locker Room and the opportunity to see the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the NFL Commissioner's Suite. Booking for the NFL Experience can be made at tottenhamhotspur.com 2019 NFL London games This year the new Spurs stadium will host NFL London games for the first time.  On Sunday 6 October the Chicago Bears play the Oakland Raiders and on Sunday 13 October the Carolina Panthers fa...
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Bermuda Championship: PGA Tour golf event to have ‘significant economic benefit’
12Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Travel

Bermuda Championship: PGA Tour golf event to have ‘significant economic benefit’

PGA Tour golfers will head to Bermuda in October for the inaugural Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton.  The first annual PGA Tour golf event to be held on the island will take place from 31 October to 3 November and tickets are now on sale.  At the announcement in June it was confirmed that the Bermuda Tourism Authority has signed a five-year agreement as the title sponsor.  Economic benefit Kevin Dallas, CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority, said: “The Bermuda Tourism Authority is thrilled to have secured this pinnacle event in golf for Bermuda’s tourism industry and community.  “We’ve had our sights set on a PGA Tour partnership because of the significant economic benefit the event itself will generate for Bermuda’s economy as well as t...
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2020 British Rally Championship to have six rounds in six countries
11Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Guides

2020 British Rally Championship to have six rounds in six countries

The 2020 calendar has been announced for the British Rally Championship (BRC) with six rounds taking place in six countries.  Next year Britain’s premier rallying series will see events held across the UK in Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The series will once again visit Belgium for the Ypres Rally and also head to Ireland for the West Cork Rally. Iain Campbell, the BRC championship manager, said: “Plans are well underway for the 2020 championship season.  “The announcement of the calendar shows our commitment to providing the best all round package for events for our competitors and spectators. We have a mix of short, sharp one-day shootouts to longer, tougher international events.  “Our calendar allows competitors to compete on some iconic stages against some of the b...
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Rugby World Cup: 90% of the 1.8m available tickets have been sold
10Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Travel

Rugby World Cup: 90% of the 1.8m available tickets have been sold

Organisers have revealed that sales are “exceeding all expectations” for official 2019 Rugby World Cup travel and hospitality packages. It has also been announced that more than 90% of the 1.8m available tickets have now been sold and demand continues to be strong in the final days before the 20-nation event begins. The opening match is on 20 September and the final takes place in Yokohama on 2 November. All-inclusive experience Figures released by STH Japan - the official hospitality and supporter tour providers - paint an exciting picture for Asia's first Rugby World Cup. The official travel programme has exceeded all initial targets, with more than 132,000 tickets sold to fans wanting an all-inclusive experience and a once-in-a-lifetime blend of Japanese culture and world-class rug...
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US Open 2019: record 737,872 fans attend tennis grand slam in New York 
10Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Travel

US Open 2019: record 737,872 fans attend tennis grand slam in New York 

An all-time attendance record was set at this year’s US Open tennis grand slam in New York.  According to the United States Tennis Association (USTA) the event saw 737,872 fans visit the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre during the two weeks of the main draw. The main Arthur Ashe Stadium sold out for 23 of the 24 sessions. Combined with the record 115,355 attendance during US Open Fan Week, the US Open’s total three-week attendance surpassed 850,000 for the first time at 853,227. Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu won the US Open men’s and women’s singles titles respectively.   Stars out to watch men’s final Nadal’s thrilling five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev in the men’s final was watched by a host of celebrities at Flushing Meadows.  In the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadiu...
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Singapore gears up for the 2019 Formula 1 Grand Prix festival
9Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events

Singapore gears up for the 2019 Formula 1 Grand Prix festival

Formula 1 fans are counting down the days until the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix - the motor sport’s popular night race. The 15th round of the 2019 F1 season will be held in the Southeast Asian city-state from 20-22 September, with practice on the Friday, qualifying on the Saturday and the grand prix on the Sunday (1.10pm start UK time).  On-track action at the Marina Bay Street Circuit will see five-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton go head-to-head with Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel.  Meanwhile, off the track the hotels, bars, clubs and tourist attractions are preparing for the ten-day Grand Prix Season Singapore (GPSS), which starts on 13 September.  Exclusive VIP parties, virtual reality race-theme...
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London record hotel openings in 2020 will boost sports and MICE sectors
9Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Hotels & Resorts, Sports Travel

London record hotel openings in 2020 will boost sports and MICE sectors

London’s MICE and sports event sectors will be boosted by a record 7,995 new hotel rooms opening across 65 new hotels in 2020.  Next year the UK capital will host seven matches in the Euro 2020 football championships, including both semi-finals and the final. And major sports business events to be held will include the International Sports Convention at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in June.  According to data published by STR, next year’s new hotel and room openings will be added to the 158,956 existing hotel rooms in the city. London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s promotional agency, said in a statement: “New hotel room openings have soared from 3,222 in 2010 to 7,995 planned for 2020. This means that in ten years [2010-2020], London’s overall hotel room capacity has increased ...
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Portugal Masters 2019: Thomas Bjørn to play in Algarve’s top golf event
9Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Hotels & Resorts

Portugal Masters 2019: Thomas Bjørn to play in Algarve’s top golf event

European Ryder Cup-winning captain Thomas Bjørn will return to play at the Portugal Masters for the first time in four years. Held at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura, the Portugal Masters will see many top European Tour players return to the Algarve from 24-27 October.  Bjørn, who led Team Europe to Ryder Cup victory in 2018, told EuropeanTour.com: “I have always enjoyed playing in Portugal. I have fond memories of the country as I reached the milestone of ten victories there nearly ten years ago.  “A number of my fellow players have a lot of great things to say about this tournament, so I’m looking forward to coming back in October.”  Championship director Peter Adams added: “With just a few short weeks to go until we return to Vilamoura, we are all very excited for this y...
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Event focus: 2019 African Sports Tourism Week Ghana
1Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business, Sports Travel

Event focus: 2019 African Sports Tourism Week Ghana

Ghana’s capital city Accra will host the 2019 edition of African Sports Tourism Week.  Taking place from 19-20 September the event will feature the African Sports Tourism Summit & Olympic Roundtable, African Sports Destination Awards, African Sports Holiday Exhibition and pre-event tours. Deji Ajomale-McWord, president of African Sports Tourism Week, said: “Our goal is to increase the gross domestic products of African nations, through better delivered sporting events and sports holidays.  “Sports can only be best commodified through experiences that only hospitality and tourism can tailor. We will be moving to different African nations, year in year out, conduct the marriage of sports and tourism, and watch over their romance to ensure it produces offspring of socioeconom...
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Aspen House: VIP SKI’s new property opens in Val d’Isere, France
30Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Holidays & Trips, Hotels & Resorts

Aspen House: VIP SKI’s new property opens in Val d’Isere, France

VIP SKI’s new home, Aspen House, will open its doors for the 2019-2020 winter season.   Five years in the planning, the property is located in the world-class ski resort of Val d’Isere, France. Aspen House offers an enviable location in the older part of town, minutes from the high street, and only a little more than 100m from the piste.   With only eight suites in this brand-new building, each of the apartments are designed with classic furnishings and a rich decor. Suites sleep from four to 10 guests.  After a hard day on the slopes, Aspen House has a funky spa on the ground floor with hammam, sauna and Jacuzzi.  Andy Sturt, owner of VIP SKI, said: “Val d’Isere still remains at the heart of our business and our clients have been telling us for a while that the old building was looki...
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SwimTrek launch swimming-focused triathlon coaching camps in Tenerife 
30Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Holidays & Trips

SwimTrek launch swimming-focused triathlon coaching camps in Tenerife 

In November SwimTrek will launch its first ever triathlon coaching camps in Tenerife, Spain. The six-day training camps will be focused on swimming technique and practice and guests can expect to swim up to 4km per day. SwimTrek coaches will guide guests through the various aspects of open water swimming, from drafting and sighting to arm recovery and stroke technique.  There will be sessions at the state-of-the-art facilities at Tenerife Top Training, where guests can make use of the 50m open air swimming pool, indoor and outdoor gym and high-tech swimming flume. Swimmers will also enjoy sea swims, offering up the chance to get out in the open water and put their newfound skills into practice.  Fiona Ford, SwimTrek’s specialist triathlon coach and former Kona Ironman podium finisher, ...
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Houston named host city of TEAMS ’20 Conference & Expo
29Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business

Houston named host city of TEAMS ’20 Conference & Expo

The TEAMS ’20 Conference & Expo will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston from 19-22 October 2020. It is the second time that the Texan city has hosted the major sports business event. Houston first hosted TEAMS in 2004. Timothy Schneider, founder of the TEAMS Conference, said Houston was the “perfect” choice. “Houston’s outstanding facilities and world-class reputation for hosting sporting events make it a natural choice for event organisers,” he said. Janis Burke, chief executive officer of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA), added: “Houston has become a major player on the national sports scene having hosted two Super Bowls, two Final Fours and three NCAA Men’s Basketball Regionals since the TEAMS Conference was last held here in 2004. ...
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Tottenham stadium to host International Sports Convention 2020
29Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business, Sports Travel

Tottenham stadium to host International Sports Convention 2020

[2020 ISC is postponed and will now be held in 2021] Tottenham Hotspur Football Club’s £1bn stadium opened in early April to much fanfare with the north London club playing their first domestic and European matches at their new home. Following a season-and-a-half of being tenants at Wembley Stadium – and after many delays – Premier League side Spurs finally got the go-ahead to return home to N17. Opening its doors on 3 April with an EPL clash against Crystal Palace, the 62,062-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is now the largest club ground in London. It will also host NFL fixtures and become a major hub for events and entertainment. With the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium now fully open it’s a welcome addition to London’s sports business venue list. Along with other major grounds such ...
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Rwanda tourism industry gets boost from Arsenal FC shirt sponsorship 
28Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business, Sports Travel

Rwanda tourism industry gets boost from Arsenal FC shirt sponsorship 

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has revealed that the Visit Rwanda shirt sponsorship of Arsenal Football Club has been worth £36m in brand value in its first year.  A three-year partnership reportedly worth £30m was agreed in May 2018 for Visit Rwanda to become the Premier League club’s shirt sleeve sponsor and official tourism partner.  SportsProMedia.com reports that the deal has given Rwanda a 5% tourism boost in visitors from the UK and has already recouped the initial £30m investment, according to analytics from Nielsen, Blinkfire Analytics and Hall and Partners.  RDB chief tourism officer Belise Kariza said: “Before the signing of the partnership, 71% of the millions of Arsenal fans globally did not think of Rwanda as a tourist destination, at the end of the first year of the p...
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Rise in international paddlers for 2019 Vaka Eiva in the Cook Islands
28Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Travel

Rise in international paddlers for 2019 Vaka Eiva in the Cook Islands

This year’s Vaka Eiva canoe racing festival in the Cook Islands will see an increase in international paddlers taking part.  The Matson Vaka Eiva - the biggest event on the Cook Islands’s sporting calendar - will take place from 22-29 November and is the 16th edition of the festival. It will feature the coveted Pacific Cup and Pacific Paddle trophies for the open women and men’s 36km race around Rarotonga. Eva Allsworth, the Matson Vaka Eiva event coordinator, said: “Preparations for the event are going well, with the number of international paddlers already up by 15-20% in comparison to last year. “We are extremely thrilled to bring the juniors ‘Oe Mapu’ event back after a three-year hiatus and will be hosting this across two days. The event has been made even more exciting as we hav...
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Event focus: 2019 Scottish Golf Tourism Week, Fairmont St Andrews
25Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Travel

Event focus: 2019 Scottish Golf Tourism Week, Fairmont St Andrews

The 4th Scottish Golf Tourism Week (SGTW) will see more than 90 golf organisations participate in the event at the five-star Fairmont resort in St Andrews. Taking place from 28 October to 1 November 2019, SGTW features familiarisation trips around Scotland, a gala dinner and more than 4,000 face-to-face meetings between industry buyers and suppliers.   According to the organisers last year’s event is expected to directly contribute £19.1m worth of additional business to Scotland by 2021, and it’s expected that the 2019 edition will be even more successful.  What the organisers say Tom Lovering, event organiser: “We’re hugely excited to be returning to Fairmont St Andrews. We identified that there was a gap in the market for an event such as this and, following a full evaluation, we wer...
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Spain and Italy the top summer sailing destinations for UK tourists
25Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Holidays & Trips

Spain and Italy the top summer sailing destinations for UK tourists

Spain and Italy are the most popular destinations for British travellers looking to take a sailing holiday this summer, according to boat hire website Click&Boat. Looking at the bookings of 3,300 UK boating enthusiasts, 25% plan to travel to Italy and 25% plan to travel to Spain for a boating trip, with the picturesque island of Ibiza claiming the top spot as the most popular destination overall.  Other Spanish sailing hot spots making waves this summer include Barcelona, Mallorca, Marbella, Menorca and Lanzarote, while across the Mediterranean Sea, Sorrento, Sicily, Sardinia and the Amalfi Coast top the list for sailing spots in Italy.  Most popular sailing destinations for UK holidaymakers, according to Click&Boat:  25% Spain (including Ibiza, Barcelona, Mallorca, Marbella,...
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Video: British Olympian Tom Daley films Japan travel series ahead of Tokyo 2020
24Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Travel

Video: British Olympian Tom Daley films Japan travel series ahead of Tokyo 2020

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) celebrated its Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games campaign with the launch of an ongoing collaboration with British Olympic diver Tom Daley.  Held at Japan House in London, JNTO hosted An audience with Tom Daley to screen some of the content created by the 25-year-old for his mini-series focusing on Japan.  Daley talked through his recent experience in Japan and showcased previously unseen footage from his trip, followed by a brief Q&A.  To highlight one year to go until the Games, Tom travelled to Japan from 1-8 August 2019 to film a six-part content series showcasing some of the culture and events the country has to offer ahead of Tokyo 2020, where he will be competing.  The 2020 Olympics will be held in Japan’s ...
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Palma Marathon travel and hotel packages available for Mallorca event
24Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Holidays & Trips, Hotels & Resorts

Palma Marathon travel and hotel packages available for Mallorca event

A number of hotels are offering special marathon packages for the 2019 Palma Marathon in Mallorca on 13 October.  Held on one of the most picturesque marathon routes in Europe, the breathtaking course traverses through the Balearic Island capital of Palma and its old town, alongside the promenade of Palma Bay following the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and past the emblematic medieval cathedral known as “La Seu”.  There are three race options for visitors wishing to participate. The full marathon and half marathon will both begin at 9am and the 10k race will start at 9.45am.  Following the race there will be two event ceremonies and an after-race party held for participants starting at 7.30pm in the Mega Park at Playa de Palma.  Palma Marathon travel information For 2019, ...
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Ski Club of Great Britain new 2019-20 brochures are out now
24Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Holidays & Trips

Ski Club of Great Britain new 2019-20 brochures are out now

The Ski Club of Great Britain has launched the 2019-20 brochures for its Freshtracks, Peak Experience and New Horizons holidays.  With hundreds of ski holidays available across Europe, North America and Japan, ski enthusiasts can find a trip to suit their specific skiing requirements.  Whether that’s skiing off piste at Red Mountain and Whitewater in British Columbia, taking a weekend break in Andermatt or exploring South Tohoku in Japan, the new brochures showcase all of what Freshtracks, Peak Experience and New Horizons holidays have to offer.  The Ski Club of Great Britain highlights for the 2019-20 season include:  A new chalet in Chamonix The beautiful chalet in the centre of the Chamonix Valley takes visitors closer to the ski lifts and is nearer to the resort's après sp...
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