Sports Travel

11Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Sport + Travel Interview: Pip Hare – British single-handed ocean racing sailor

At 12:02 GMT on the 8th Nov 2020, 34 competitors of the Vendée Globe race, will sail non-stop, unassisted, single handed around the world via three capes and three oceans in an effort to complete one of the most demanding and prestigious events within the sailing and sporting calendar. Pip Hare is one of those competitors; a British single-handed ocean racing sailor, journalist, coach and inspirational speaker. With 2 world-first endurance records to her name, the winner of multiple international yacht races, and 20 years of experience in ocean racing, Pip will be taking part in this year’s iconic Vendée Globe – the world’s toughest single-handed yacht race - with the ambition of breaking the current female record. Sports Tourism Media wishes Pip good luck on this tremendous endeavour and ...

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3Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel, Venues & Stadiums

Sport + Travel Interview: Riyad Ayyoub of the Royal Jordanian Falcons National Aerobatic Team

If you look into the skies above Jordan’s Red Sea resort of Aqaba you may well catch a glimpse of ‘The Royal Jordanian Falcons National Aerobatics Team’. Founded and established in 1976 at the behest of his Majesty the late King Hussein Bin Talal, himself an accomplished pilot. Soon after their formation, Riyad Ayyoub now the General Manager of the team, joined the Falcons back in 1985. Not only has he been part of their journey ever since, he has also witnessed the growth in tourism to this region of Jordan and certainly the realisation of its Sport Tourism potential. To view the current RJ Falcons team please go to https://rjfalcons.com/rjf-team/ Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media What was your most memorable sporting holiday and why? I learnt to water-ski...

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29Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

The Sports Tourism Blog: my top 10 favourite sporting trips and experiences

The Sports Tourism Blog by Mike Starling, co-editor, Sports Tourism News  As a sports journalist - and a sports fanatic - I have been lucky to have attended a number of events and tournaments over the years. In no particular order, here I pick out ten of my favourite sporting trips and experiences.  Wimbledon 2019  https://twitter.com/MikeJStarling/status/1145776862905405441 Of all the events I have ever been to, going to The Championships at Wimbledon was probably the biggest tick off my sporting bucket list. I was fortunate enough to get an invite through IMG Tennis to attend day one in 2019 and was even more lucky to get the chance to see Coco Gauff’s stunning victory over Venus Williams in the first round of the women’s singles. If you ever get the opport...

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29Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel Interview: Angelita Teo – IOC’s Director of the Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH)

Sports Tourism Media visited ‘The Olympic Museum’ (TOM) last summer to relive the greatest moments in Olympic history and to discover a truly unique cultural and sporting resource. Thus, we are delighted to interview Angelita Teo, who joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the Director of the Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) in October of 2019. She brings with her a wealth of expertise and influence in the cultural sector from Singapore, as their former Senior Director of the National Heritage Board (NHB) of Singapore and Director of the National Museum of Singapore (NMS). See how sport, travel and culture continue to impact on Angelita's lifestyle... Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media https://www.instagram.com/p/CCRa2kgn9CY/ What wa...

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22Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel Interview: Kieran Coyle, founder of Premiership Experience

Kieran Coyle is the owner/founder of the award-winning global sports tour operator Premiership Experience, a company working in partnership with some leading brands in the world of sport to deliver memorable experiences for schools, clubs and many more organisations. Having played football to a professional level, he started the business aged 19 and has grown it to become an international brand with offices in the UK, China & Middle-East. As a business and sportsman, fan and footy aficionado, Kieran provides Sports Travel Media a unique insight into his company and his sports travel mind set. Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media What was your most memorable sporting holiday and why?  With the fast paced nature of my day to day, when I go on holid...

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12Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel Interview: Paddy Graham, Britain’s top Freeskier

Paddy Graham is Britain's top freeskier and has won the Battle of Britain London Freeze (2009, 2010 and 2012), Red Bull Playstreets and the Red Bull Tribal Quest in his career to date. He is also part of the ski-film collective 'Legs of Steel' which produces action sports feature films and TV documentaries. Paddy spends plenty of time in the air (in every sense of the word) making him a great candidate for our interview series. Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media https://www.instagram.com/p/B-35n7-FfDi/ What was your most memorable sporting holiday and why? The first time I went skiing was with school on a trip to Vermont, USA - it was my first real experience on snow but not my most memorable, that would have to be Tignes, Fran...

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6Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel Interview: Sam Sunderland, Dakar Rally winner

In 2017 Sam Sunderland became the first British Dakar Rally Champion in the history of the race. As his Red Bull profile states, he has “shredded the tracks and trails of the British motocross scene since he was seven years old”. With talent at such an early age, Sam was seemingly destined to vanquish the world’s toughest rally. Having overcome the many challenges thrown at him, including injury, his appetite for the thrills, spills and exhilaration his career provides, seems undimmed. Sports Tourism Media co-editor Ramy Salameh spoke to Sam about his Sports Travel life. Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media https://www.instagram.com/p/B-PYqD8KSYo/ What was your most memorable sporting holiday and why? Andorra, it was really cool for me to discover th...

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27Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel interview: Catie Munnings, British rally driver

The word trailblazer could not be more apt for British rally driver Catie Munnings.  Still in her early 20s, Munnings has already achieved honours including the FIA European Rally Championship Ladies Trophy in 2016, first place in the ladies category at the 2019 European Rally Championships in Latvia and is currently making her debut in the 2020 World Rally Championships.  Munnings also presented Catie’s Amazing Machines - a children’s show on the BBC’s CBeebies channel.  She spoke with Sports Tourism Media co-editor Ramy Salameh about her sports and travel passions. Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media https://www.instagram.com/p/CBvqCikAwxY/ What was your most memorable sporting holiday and why?  I think in terms of a holida...

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13Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Guides, Sports Business, Sports Travel

2020 #SportsBiz conferences: sports tourism and travel industry events

Sports business and sports tourism conferences are a huge driver for the travel industry. However, the sector has been hit hard this year by the coronavirus pandemic with many events cancelled, postponed or rescheduled. Here we look at the #SportsBiz events, conferences, exhibitions and awards scheduled to take place in 2020. All events are subject to change due to Covid-19. Sport + Travel Magazine: sign up for the free monthly digital publication 2020 sports calendar: major sporting events 2020 sports business calendar  December 2020 Business of Sport Summit When: 1-2 December 2020 Where: RACV City Club in Melbourne, Australia and delivered digitally Website: sportsleaders.com.au The Stadium Business Summit When: 1-3 December 2020 Where: online Website: stadiumbusinesssummit.com Maj...

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1Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel interview: Aguska Mnich, freestyle football champion

Aguśka Mnich, a two-time world and European freestyle football champion, speaks with Sports Tourism Media co-editor Ramy Salameh about her sports and travel passions. Born and raised in Poland and now based in London, Mnich dreams of one day competing in the Olympics if the sport ever becomes an Olympic discipline. As well as her freestyle football titles, she has also worked with a number of major sports companies and organisations including Uefa, Fifa, adidas, Nike, Orange and Three UK. Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YJPsQn_EPY What was your most memorable sporting holiday and why? My most memorable sporting holiday was in Miami in November 2019. The world championship was taking place there. After the c...

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1Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel interview: Amir Alagic, Sri Lanka football team head coach

Amir Alagic, head coach of the Sri Lanka men’s national football team, speaks to Sports Tourism Media co-editor Ramy Salameh about his sports travel life as a coach, fan and holidaymaker. Alagic, a Uefa Pro Licence coach and a former Yugoslavia international player, has managed teams in many countries including Bosnia, Germany, Australia, USA, Brunei, Oman and Kuwait.  Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media What was your most memorable sporting holiday and why?  It was a grand slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia. It had a great atmosphere, with plenty of fans attending from around the world and the biggest stars in the game were playing. The Rod Laver Arena is a spectacular stadium and offers much more than being just an arena for spectat...

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23May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Guides, Sports Travel, Venues & Stadiums

Review: Fifa World Football Museum in Zurich

Switzerland is home to the headquarters for two of the biggest sporting organisations in the world – the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa).  Both support their own museums, which provide Lausanne and Zurich with two of the most incredible sports attractions anywhere in the world.  Sports Tourism Media's co-editor Ramy James Salameh visited the Fifa World Football Museum in Zurich and picks out the best things to see. Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media Up for the cup Without doubt a spine-tingling moment is getting up close and personal with the Fifa World Cup trophy, which is a global “celebrity” in its own right.  Introduced in 1974, the Fifa World Cup trophy is made of 1...

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23May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel interview: Samuel Inkoom, Ghana international football player

Samuel Inkoom, a Ghanaian international football player, speaks to Sports Tourism Media co-editor Ramy Salameh about his sports travel life as a professional footballer, fan and holidaymaker. Inkoom, 30, has won 46 international caps for Ghana and was a member of the Black Stars’s squad which reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa. He was in Ghana's squad for the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil and also appeared in the Uefa Champions League for Swiss side FC Basel. Former clubs include DC United in the US, Boavista in Portugal and Antalyaspor in Turkey. He currently plays for Georgian club Samtredia.   Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media What was your most memorable sporting holiday?  When I was playing in Swi...

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11May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel, Venues & Stadiums

CopenHill: Copenhagen’s mountain sports destination takes urban sustainability to new heights

By Sports Tourism Media co-editor Ramy Salameh Copenhagen aims to become carbon-neutral by 2025 - an impressive and challenging goal for any destination.  However, when one hears about some of the latest innovations taking place in the city, you come to understand how likely it is for that goal to be met.  The Danish capital is fuelling its reputation as one of the greenest cities on the planet through a growing portfolio of green initiatives and projects changing the urban landscape for the better. One example is CopenHill – an urban ski slope and epicentre for urban mountain sports which opened in October 2019.   It's located on Copenhagen’s peninsula of Refshaleøen, an old industrial area transformed into one of the city’s newest neighbourhoods with a trendy vibe.&nb...

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11May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Guides, Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

Licence to thrill-seek in Austria: extreme sports tourism at AREA 47

By Sports Tourism Media co-editor Ramy Salameh A study has calculated how far James Bond 007 has travelled to save the world - an enormous 276,745.2 miles across 24 movies, with Austria having been the location on three separate films.  It is a country known for its epic Alpine surroundings and tailor-made for adventure sport junkies.  In 2015, the world’s most famous film franchise used the Gaislachkogl Mountain to shoot key action scenes of Spectre. This Bond movie granted the town of Soelden, located in the Alpine valley of Oetztal-Tirol, a unique and lasting legacy.  Key action scenes from the film have now been honoured through the creation of 007 Elements a stunning cinematic installation at more than 3,000m which opened in 2018. Inside, a series of bunker-like concre...

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11May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

The Sports Tourism Blog: stay home, stay safe and dream of epic trips in 2021

The Sports Travel Blog by co-editor Mike Starling Sport, like so many other global industries, is currently at a standstill due to the rapid spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Football’s Euro 2020 championships and the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have been postponed for a year. The Masters golf major is cancelled and Wimbledon has also fallen victim to the pandemic. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, the sports industry is way down the pecking order at this challenging time. The health and wellbeing of the world’s citizens - you, your friends and your families - is what governments and organisations are rightly focussing on. Yes we miss sport, yes we miss travel and yes we miss the live action. However, the need to stay home and stay safe is what has to happen right now.  ...

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15Mar By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

NFL London Games 2020: Jacksonville Jaguars to play two home matches at Wembley

NOTE: NFL will not be hosting any international games in London in 2020 American football team the Jacksonville Jaguars have confirmed that they will play two back-to-back home matches at Wembley Stadium in the NFL London Games 2020. The Jags, who have played every year at Wembley since 2013, become the first NFL team to play two regular-season home games outside of the United States.  Although the opponents are yet to be confirmed, NFL.com says the Jags will play two of the following teams at Wembley in 2020: the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions or Miami Dolphins. This year there will be four matches on the NFL London Games 2020 schedule. Wembley, the home of English football, will host the two Jags fixtures while the Tottenham Hots...

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15Mar By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel, Venues & Stadiums

Etihad Arena: naming rights deal signed for new venue at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi

Etihad Airways has secured the exclusive naming rights for a new 18,000-capacity venue at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.  Called the Etihad Arena, the multi-purpose indoor entertainment facility is being developed by Abu Dhabi-based Miral and according to reports will open this year.    Operated by Flash Entertainment, the Etihad Arena has been designed to accommodate large-scale and private events, offering a capacity ranging from 200 to 18,000 people. Once open, the venue will host a variety of events including sporting competitions, corporate events, cultural performances and concerts.  The Etihad Arena will be a major addition to Yas Bay Waterfront, which will also include the Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, a beach club as well as a pier that boasts 12 licensed cafes and restaurants, and 19...

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8Mar By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Coronavirus: no Formula 1 fans will attend the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix

Bahrain Grand Prix organisers have confirmed that the Formula 1 event from 20-22 March 2020 will be held behind closed doors because of the coronavirus outbreak.  While the Chinese GP in April was postponed, the Bahrain race, the second on the 2020 F1 calendar, will be open for participants only and will be televised.   In a statement published on Facebook, Bahrain GP officials said: “In consultation with our international partners and the Kingdom’s national health Taskforce, Bahrain has made the decision to hold this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix as a participants-only event.  “As an F1 host nation, balancing the welfare of supporters and race goers is a tremendous responsibility. Given the continued spread of Covid-19 globally, convening a major sporting event, which is open to the public...

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3Mar By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Coronavirus: IOC chief Bach urges athletes to prepare ‘full steam’ for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has urged athletes around the world to keep preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games despite the coronavirus outbreak.  Japan’s capital city hosts the summer Olympics from 24 July to 9 August and the Paralympics from 25 August to 6 September.  Many major sporting events are under threat due to the spread of the virus and media reports have claimed that the games in Tokyo could be postponed or cancelled. But in a statement issued on 3 March, the IOC said: “The IOC executive board [EB] today expressed its full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.  “The IOC EB heard a report on all the measures taken so far to address the coronavirus situation, which was followed by a comprehensive discussion. “A joint task force had alre...

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