Sports Business

14May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel, Venues & Stadiums

Wrexham to welcome new Football Museum for Wales in 2026

Football fans in Wrexham have been celebrating the team’s promotion back to the Football League – and soon they will be celebrating a major new football attraction in the north Wales city. Currently in its development stage and scheduled to open in 2026, the Football Museum for Wales (Amgueddfa Bêl-droed Cymru in the Welsh language) will be located in Wrexham and will “celebrate Welsh football, past and present, in all its diversity”, said VisitWales.com. From grassroots clubs to the national teams, it will also highlight Wrexham’s “historic achievements in the sport”.  ‘Museum of Two Halves’ Nicknamed the “Museum of Two Halves”, the project won’t just see the development of the Football Museum for Wales, but also a new Wrexham Museum in the current museum building on Regent ...

Read More

11May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business

EFL 2023-2024 season: key dates for leagues, cups and play-off finals

Key dates for supporter’s diaries have been released by the English Football League (EFL) ahead of the 2023-2024 season. Fixture release day kicks things off on Thursday 22 June, with all 72 EFL clubs releasing their 2023-2024 schedules from 9am (BST). The opening round of league fixtures will take place across the opening weekend of 4-6 August with round one of the Carabao Cup following shortly after, week commencing 7 August. Wembley Stadium will play host to the 2024 Carabao Cup Final on Sunday 25 February, in what will be the first of five showpiece finals in the EFL calendar, with the 2024 EFL Trophy Final taking place on Sunday 7 April. The season-ending Sky Bet EFL play-offs will once again be staged at Wembley, this time across two weekends in May 2024. The League One F...

Read More

5May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

The Ocean Race Europe 2025: cities invited to express hosting interest

As the current edition of The Ocean Race heads back into the northern hemisphere, race organisers are looking ahead to the next major event in the ten-year planning cycle – The Ocean Race Europe 2025. Following the success of the inaugural event in 2021, The Ocean Race Europe was among the first major international sporting events to resume following Covid lockdowns. Featuring ten teams racing across two classes, the event combined world-class sport with a purpose-driven agenda. The 2025 edition has even larger ambitions. Under the banner of “Connecting Europe: Racing to restore our ocean and waters” The Ocean Race Europe is scheduled to begin in the late summer of 2025, and will start in the Baltic Sea and finish in the Mediterranean, with up to five stops along the way. The IMOC...

Read More

5May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

WXV: the new international competition for elite women’s rugby

World Rugby has announced the first host locations and dates for WXV – the new international competition for elite women’s rugby. Starting in October 2023, WXV has a mission to raise the profile and competitiveness of women’s 15s by providing the global platform between Rugby World Cups to increase the reach, impact and value of the sport, growing the game as a whole. It will also double the number of annual international fixtures for most competing teams, combining with World Rugby’s “Accelerate” programme to raise standards at Rugby World Cup 2025 and beyond. Host locations Fresh off the back of hosting a record-breaking Rugby World Cup where the Black Ferns were crowned champions, New Zealand will welcome the world’s best women's teams in the six-nation top level WXV 1 across ...

Read More

4May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

2022 NFL Munich Game had €70.2m economic impact for the German city 

The National Football League’s (NFL) first-ever regular season international game in Germany was a success beyond the stadium in both economic and social impact. According to the 2022 NFL Munich Game Impact Assessment report, compiled by The Sports Consultancy Group, the event generated a total economic impact of €70.2m for the city of Munich, with €32.2m in direct spending. Played on 13 November 2022 at the Allianz Arena, home of German football giants FC Bayern Munich, the game saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-16. "The Munich game was a significant moment for the NFL in Germany and one that will live in the minds of those in the stadium and those who watched the game from around the world for many years to come,” said Dr. Alexander Steinforth, GM NFL Germany. ...

Read More

29Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

UNWTO: collaboration is key to maximise sport tourism’s potential 

Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), has called upon the public and private sectors to “collaborate” to fully maximise sports tourism’s potential – and to achieve the goals of economic diversification, growth and sustainable development for destinations worldwide. Speaking at the World Sports Tourism Congress (WSTC) in Zadar, Croatia, Pololikashvili said: “Sports tourism plays a key role in enhancing economic growth and social development in many destinations. It creates jobs and supports businesses in cities and rural communities alike. In order to maximise its potential, public and private sector actors must collaborate, and that’s where UNWTO steps in.” The second edition of the WSTC, held from 26-27 April 2023, was organised by UNW...

Read More

28Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Venues & Stadiums

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to host EPCR rugby finals in 2024

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has confirmed that the 2024 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup finals will be held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The 2024 EPCR Finals Weekend will take place on Friday 24 May and Saturday 25 May. Home to Premier League football club Spurs, the multi-purpose venue, which was opened in April 2019, has become a prime destination for a wide range of major events including NFL, boxing and music concerts. The stadium has previously hosted major rugby fixtures including two Saracens Gallagher Premiership ties and a Barbarian FC vs. All Blacks XV match.  Dominic McKay, EPCR chairman, said: “It is quite simply one of the most exciting venues in the world and an incredibly appropriate stage for next year’s showpiece...

Read More

23Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business

Bassmaster Classic fishing event nets $35.5m for Knoxville

The 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic not only shattered attendance and viewership records, but it also generated an economic windfall of more than $35.5m for the local community, according to numbers released by the Visit Knoxville tourism board. Regarded as the “Super Bowl of bass fishing”, the Classic Week activities in Knoxville, Tennessee, attracted a huge crowd of 163,914.  “Knoxville as a destination is the perfect fit for events like the Bassmaster Classic,” said Kim Bumpas, president of Visit Knoxville. “From natural resources like the Tennessee River and surrounding lakes to the multiple venues hosting various events throughout the weekend, fans from all over the world enjoy an experience like no other here in Knoxville.” Fans travelling from across the US a...

Read More

19Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel, Venues & Stadiums

‘Entertainment destination’: Man City’s big plans for the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City FC have submitted a planning application to create a year-round “entertainment and leisure destination” at the Etihad Stadium. The Premier League club’s proposals would see their home ground’s capacity increase to more than 60,000 as well as new facilities including a covered fan zone, club shop and museum, and 400-room hotel.  The planning application submitted to Manchester City Council comes after the club held a consultation with fans and the local community over the concepts and designs.  In a statement Man City said that the proposals represent more than “£300m investment into east Manchester through a major construction project that would take up to three years to complete, offering 2,600 jobs prioritised for people from Greater Manchester”. What’s incl...

Read More

16Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business

World Nineball Tour: new global pool event series launched by Matchroom 

Hailed as “a benchmark” for the global game of professional pool, Matchroom Pool has launched the World Nineball Tour with a minimum of 40 ranking events and a prize fund of at least US$3m.  Matchroom is looking to emulate the model that has seen the growth of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the World Snooker Tour, both of which have more than £15m in prize money for the forthcoming season. The World Nineball Tour will “accelerate at pace” to provide a “commercial platform for professional pool and change players’ lives”. In 2023, ten major events will form the backbone of the pool calendar promoted by Matchroom with a new signature 256-player field Spanish Open Pool Championship recently announced as part of a wider partnership in Spain. Similarly, the Southeast Asia te...

Read More

16Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

Uefa Euro 2028: UK and Ireland submit final bid and reveal stadiums list 

The football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have formally submitted their bid to co-host the men’s 2028 Uefa European Championship. As part of the UK and Ireland’s joint candidacy, the host cities and ten stadiums have also been proposed for the 18th edition of the tournament. According to a statement issued by the five associations, almost three million tournament tickets will be made available and the average stadium capacity will be 58,000. Turkey is set to be the UK and Ireland’s only rival to host Euro 2028 after European football’s governing body Uefa confirmed that the Turkish Football Federation has submitted its bid dossier to host the tournament in either 2028 or 2032. The Italian Football Federation has also submitted...

Read More

13Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Discover South Carolina becomes an official tourism sponsor of golf’s PGA Tour

The PGA Tour and Discover South Carolina have announced a five-year marketing partnership that will see the state become an official tourism sponsor of golf’s elite tour. As part of the agreement, through to 2027, Discover South Carolina will engage across the PGA Tour landscape, including through digital activations and creative content as well as at PGA Tour and DP World Tour tournaments. The partnership will further solidify the state as a world-class destination for recreation and golf. The RBC Heritage returns to Hilton Head Island this week for its 55th edition, established in South Carolina in 1969 when Arnold Palmer took home the inaugural event. Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina, also hosted events in both 2021 and 2022 as the PGA Tour navigated the pandemic, a...

Read More

1Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Venues & Stadiums

Watching the Lionesses win at Wembley: ‘the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced’

In this blog post, Sports Tourism Media co-editor Mike Starling looks back on a glorious day out at Wembley Stadium for the Uefa Women’s Euro final between England and Germany... Just before she scored her winning goal, England hero Chloe Kelly looked towards us in the stands and urged the fans to roar the Lionesses on for the last minutes of the Uefa Women’s Euro final.  There was 110 minutes on the clock and seconds later Lauren Hemp swung in a corner which, after a goalmouth scramble, found Kelly who toe poked the ball home from close range. It may have been scrappy, but like Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick strike in 1966 and Gazza’s stunner against Scotland in 1996, Kelly’s Wembley goal is one that will go down in English football folklore. The forward’s now-iconic “taking-her-sh...

Read More

30Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

Sydney Marathon enters race to join Abbott World Marathon Majors 

Sydney is on track to join the most high-profile marathon cities in the world, with the Blackmores Sydney Marathon officially announced as a candidate for the Abbott World Marathon Majors series – the first marathon in Oceania to be nominated. To become a major, the Sydney Marathon will be required to meet “strict criteria over a three-year period”, said worldmarathonmajors.com. If successful, it will join an esteemed group of races – Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW-Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and TCS New York City Marathon – as a new member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2025. Stuart Ayres, the New South Wales minister for tourism and sport, said the candidacy acknowledges the Sydney Marathon as a world-class event with one of...

Read More

30Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

Free tickets released for golf’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai 

As with previous years, general admission tickets will be free for golf fans eager to watch the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The DP World Tour’s season-ending Rolex Series event will be held from 17-20 November at Jumeirah Golf Estates.  The Earth course will once again welcome the top 50 players on the DP World Tour Rankings presented by Rolex. Some of the hottest names in the game are expected to make the trip to Dubai for the prestigious tournament, including the likes of former champions and major winners Matthew Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm.  This year’s tournament will also boast a record US$10m prize fund, making the season finale the first DP World Tour event in history outside the Majors and WGCs to feature an eight-figure prize fund. As...

Read More

30Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business

Rebrands and acquisitions: a huge month for Destination Sport Group

It’s been a busy few weeks for the team at Manchester-based sports travel group Destination Sport.  Earlier this month it was revealed that Clarity Sports had officially rebranded to Destination Sport Travel. And the company grew even bigger with Destination Sport Experiences acquiring US-based running travel specialists Marathon Tours & Travel. Destination Sport Group also expanded its partnership with Manchester United FC, with SportsBreaks.com marketing official ticket and hotel packages to fans in the US and Canada. While Inspiresport launched new partnerships with FC Bayern Munich and Lancashire Cricket.  https://twitter.com/Dest_Sport/status/1543926317908992000 Clarity Sports rebranded as Destination Sport Travel Elite sports travel provider Clarity Spo...

Read More

2Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Hotels & Resorts, Sports Business, Sports Travel

Mamaka by Ovolo partners with Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy

Mamaka by Ovolo, an urban resort located on Bali’s Kuta Beach, has announced a partnership with the Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy – the island's most renowned surfing school. As official partners, the Academy will be nestled within the resort and provide the finest surfing lessons to those keen on learning the sport.   Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy's proven track record and ISA-certified instructors will complement Mamaka's prime location, as Kuta Beach’s long stretch of golden sand and phenomenal sunsets has become a globally recognised surfer's paradise.  “Kuta has long been known as a surfing hotspot, and to be in partnership with Mamaka and be a part of the Ovolo family is exciting,” said Made Switra, co-founder of Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy. “It will certainly attract surfe...

Read More

31May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Trips & Experiences, Venues & Stadiums

Review: National Football Museum in Manchester

One of the UK’s most popular sporting attractions is the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. This is definitely one turnstile worth passing through, for both lovers of the beautiful game and those who just love sport.  Located in Manchester’s city centre, within the modernist “Urbis” building, visitors will find four floors of permanent and temporary exhibitions, dedicated to the birthplace of the modern game. Sports Tourism Media were lucky to have a tour of one of the world's best sports museums, here’s what co-editor Ramy James Salameh had to say… What can you see at the National Football Museum? The museum showcases 2,500 items of memorabilia taking the visitor from the earliest origins of the game through to the present day. It also strives to reflect t...

Read More

31May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

‘Fan Experience Tester’: is this the best sports job in the world?

Sportsbreaks.com is looking for an official ‘Fan Experience Tester’ – a role that may just be the best sports job in the world. According to the sports travel and experience provider, one lucky applicant will attend and report on the biggest sporting events in the calendar. Once selected, the recruit will have a choice of marquee sporting events and will help Sportsbreaks.com ensure it is providing the best experience possible at these once-in-a-lifetime events.   Trips will include:   Formula 1: tickets, travel and hotel to a European race in 2023  Football match break including tickets and hotel Tickets to an NFL London Games match  Tickets to a UK darts tournament Tickets to an England cricket international at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester with access ...

Read More

31May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

‘Surf City USA’ Huntington Beach to host 2022 ISA World Surfing Games 

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has announced that Huntington Beach in California, USA, will be the host of the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games from 17-24 September.  In a significant innovation to the Olympic Surfing Qualification System, the winning men’s and women’s national teams at these World Surfing Games will be allocated one Olympic slot each for their respective country/National Olympic Committee (NOC). This qualification slot will be in addition to the maximum quota of two athletes per country for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.  The ISA’s premier event, presented by Visit Huntington Beach, returns to “Surf City USA” for the first time since 2006. Huntington Beach has played a historic role for the sport of surfing, having hosted top-tier global events. The 202...

Read More