Sports Travel

6Feb By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

2020: the year of sports tourism in Catalonia 

As a region that boasts world-class football clubs, beaches, mountains and an action-packed events calendar, it’s no surprise that Catalonia is positioning itself as a major sports travel destination.  At the end of 2019 the Catalan Tourism Board declared 2020 to be “the year of sports tourism”. With Tokyo hosting the Olympics Games in 2020, the Catalonia sports tourism year has an aim to promote the Pyrenees-Barcelona candidature to host the Winter Olympic Games in 2030.  On its website the Catalan Tourism Board says of the sports tourism push in 2020: “This thematic year is regarded as an opportunity to position Catalonia as a leading destination for sports tourism around the world.  “The quality of the tourist attractions and its excellent sports facilities, coupled with its climate ...

Read More

23Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Rugby World Cup 2023: Groupe Couleur to manage official travel agent selection process

World Rugby and the France 2023 organising committee have announced that Groupe Couleur has been appointed as exclusive global rights holder for the Rugby World Cup 2023 official travel programme. Groupe Couleur will manage the official travel agent appointment process, which kicks off with agents around the world invited to register their interest from now until 31 March 2020. Rugby World Cup 2023 official travel agents will be appointed in September 2020, marking a major milestone for fans planning on attending rugby’s showcase event. Ticket-inclusive packages sales will be launched in early 2021.  Groupe Couleur will manage all operational responsibilities of the official travel programme, from appointing the official travel agents to delivering the tickets and ensuring all marketing...

Read More

7Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Endeavor buys majority stake in NFL On Location Experiences 

Entertainment giant Endeavor has completed its takeover of NFL-backed On Location Experiences (OLE).  The deal sees Endeavor acquire a majority equity ownership stake while the NFL, through its strategic investment arm 32 Equity, will continue to be a minority shareholder and retain its seat on the board of directors. According to a news release, ex-Bloomberg, Westwood One and Time Inc executive Paul Caine will lead the newly-integrated entity. John Collins, OLE’s CEO for the past four years, will serve as an advisor to the company and Endeavor through the integration period.  Ariel Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor said: “By bringing together a leader like On Location with Endeavor’s access and reach, we can advance the way consumers and brands think about money-can’t-buy experiences.  “Partne...

Read More

22Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Four million grand prix fans attend Formula 1 races in 2019

Formula 1 has announced that 4,164,948 spectators attended at least one of the 21 grands prix during the 2019 season.   According to data supplied by race promoters, 2019 had a +1.75% attendance increase compared to the previous season, despite the Saturday cancellation of the Japanese Grand Prix due to Typhoon Hagibis.  Adding to this total the 80,118 F1 Paddock Club ticket holders (+7.15% compared to 2018), the average attendance per race was 202,146 (+1.85%).  Three GPs had an attendance of more than 300,000 spectators over a race weekend – Great Britain (351,000), Mexico (345,694) and Australia (324,100) – while a total of eight attracted crowds of more than 200,000, including Singapore and USA (268,000 each), Belgium (251,864), Hungary (230,000) and Austria (203,000).  Five circui...

Read More

15Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Clarity Sports named official team travel partner of the Football Association of Wales

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) and Clarity Sports have announced a new partnership that will see Clarity provide all domestic and international travel for the Welsh national teams.  Clarity Sports, who also work with a number of top-flight English and Scottish football teams, has signed a three-year contract that will see the business provide its best-in-class services at an exciting time for the FAW, with Euro 2020 on the horizon. Wales have been drawn against Italy, Switzerland and Turkey and will play games initially in Baku and Rome.  The women’s international team will continue their 2021 European Championship qualifying campaign, where they currently sit second in the table, in April 2020.  Rob Slawson, director of sports travel at Clarity, said: “The role we play is to t...

Read More

25Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

4,000 meetings take place at 2019 Scottish Golf Tourism Week

The 2019 Scottish Golf Tourism Week (SGTW) was a resounding success with more than 4,000 meetings taking place during the event. Held from 28 October to 1 November at the five-star Fairmont St Andrews in Fife, the fourth edition of the trade event saw golf businesses network with international tour operators.  Organisers said on Twitter: “The Scottish Golf Tourism Week is the biggest tourism event for all businesses deriving revenue from the golf market. Over 100 businesses carry out more than 4,000 face-to-face meetings with over 100 international tour operators.” The 2018 SGTW is expected to directly contribute £19.1m worth of additional business to Scotland by 2021, and organisers expect the 2019 edition to be even more successful.  It’s also been announced that next year’...

Read More

25Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Viagogo buys StubHub from eBay for $4.05bn: ‘a win-win deal for fans’

A major business deal has been confirmed in the sports ticketing industry with news that eBay Inc has agreed to sell StubHub to viagogo for $4.05bn in cash. The sale is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2020, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. Eric Baker, viagogo’s founder and CEO, also co-founded StubHub while in business school, but left before the business was sold to eBay for $310m in 2007. He said it has been his “wish” to unite the two companies.  “I am so proud of how StubHub has grown over the years and excited about the possibilities for our shared future,” Baker added.  “Buyers will have a wider choice of tickets, and sellers will have a wider network of buyers. Bringing these two companies together creates a win-win for fans -...

Read More

20Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

WSL Sydney Surf Pro in Manly to generate AUD$3.7m and 25,000 visitor nights

Manly beach in Sydney, Australia, will host the World Surf League’s newest event – the Sydney Surf Pro – for the next three years. The NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, has secured the event exclusively for Sydney as part of the new global WSL Challenger Series. The WSL Sydney Surf Pro will include men’s and women’s events and is locked in for Manly from 2020 to 2022, with the first event to take place between 8-14 March next year.  James Griffin, member for Manly, said: “Manly staged the first-ever world championships in May 1964, and in March this year our iconic four-kilometre beach attracted 11-time world champion Kelly Slater to compete. “Where better to kick off the WSL Challenger Series than in the hub of surf culture that is Manly?”  ...

Read More

19Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

IOC and Airbnb agree Olympic partnership: all the details about the deal

International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Airbnb have announced a major partnership agreement to support the Olympic Movement through to 2028.  The nine-year, five-Games deal includes accommodation provisions that will reduce costs for Olympic Games organisers and stakeholders, minimise the need for construction of new accommodation infrastructure for the Olympic Games period, and generate direct revenue for local hosts and communities. Working together with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Airbnb will also promote accommodation that supports accessibility for people with disabilities or other accessibility needs. Reactions to the partnership IOC president Thomas Bach “This innovative partnership underpins our strategy to ensure that the efficient staging of the Olympic Gam...

Read More

3Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

‘Golfbreaks by PGA Tour’ brand created after golf organisations join forces

PGA Tour has invested in Golfbreaks and the two organisations have created a new golf travel brand - Golfbreaks by PGA Tour. The partnership will give golfers the opportunity to book golf holidays to more than 2,500 destinations throughout Europe and North America.  Founded in 1998 in the United Kingdom, Golfbreaks has become one of the market leaders in golf travel. Following 21 consecutive years of revenue growth, Golfbreaks now looks to accelerate the expansion of its North American business.  Andrew Stanley, Golfbreaks CEO, said: “We opened our US office in 2016 to help the 30 million-plus golfers with a one-stop travel service offering of high-quality, good-value golf vacations.  “Having achieved three years of double-digit growth, the time was right for us to find ...

Read More

1Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Sports tourism and travel industry events and conferences | 2019

STOP THE PRESS! *** We have an updated 2020 sports business calendar on this link. Click to see the latest events, conferences and exhibitions in 2020...*** 

Read More

30Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

South Africa wins right to host the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

The Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will be held in South Africa after the World Rugby Council awarded the hosting rights for the tournament at a meeting in Tokyo.  In September 2022 the eighth edition of the showcase event will take place in Cape Town in what will be the first time that Rugby World Cup Sevens has been hosted on the African continent.  The world’s best 24 men’s and 16 women’s rugby sevens teams will take to the field at the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point where they will compete for world champion status over three days of exhilarating action.  The 55,000-capacity stadium is the same venue that has hosted the HSBC Cape Town Sevens since 2015, and for the first time this year will host both men’s and women’s teams across three days of competition as part of the new-lo...

Read More

22Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

MLB World Series to generate $6.5m economic impact for Washington DC

Washington Nationals’s qualification to the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series is set to generate a $6.5m economic impact for Washington DC. Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organisation for the US capital city, has announced that the impact will come from two World Series home games against the Houston Astros on Friday 25 October and Saturday 26 October.  Both matches will be played at Nationals Park in the Capitol Riverfront neighbourhood in south-east DC with the potential of a fifth game on Sunday 27 October. “The World Series is an amazing opportunity for the Washington Nationals, their fans and the economic impact for the nation’s capital,” said Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO, Destination DC.  “We’re excited to showcase Washington DC ...

Read More

17Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Runnin’City wins 1st UNWTO Sports Tourism Start-up Competition

Smartphone app Runnin’City has been named the winner of the 1st United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Sports Tourism Start-up Competition. Launched in partnership with the Barca Innovation Hub and supported by the Qatar National Tourism Council, the competition saw hundreds of start-ups enter. Five companies - Runnin’City; Fly-Foot; Kamui Daisetsu Barrier-free Institute; Oevit; and WeFish - were then shortlisted for the final. In October, the five finalists took centre stage at the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau, with the first SportsTech edition of the WTO’s Tourism Tech Adventures initiative celebrating the most disruptive ideas and innovators from around the world.  Within the framework of the Forum, the five finalists were invited to Macau for a special masterc...

Read More

17Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Hotels & Resorts, Sports Business, Sports Travel

Man Utd and Marriott Hotels unveil the ‘Seat of Dreams’ at the Theatre of Dreams 

Manchester United and Marriott Hotels have unveiled the “Seat of Dreams” - a new concept that will be launched at the club’s Old Trafford stadium. United’s Premier League clash against rivals Liverpool on Sunday 20 October will see the Seat of Dreams used for the first time. This unique matchday experience allows supporters to watch the action from a coveted vantage point in the ground while also enjoying special perks such as complimentary food and drinks, early entry to the stadium, and the opportunity to meet Man Utd legends. The new addition at the Theatre of Dreams will be awarded to four fans at random through a complimentary upgrade to their existing match ticket. Official hotel partner The debut of the Seat of Dreams concept also marks the kick-off of a larger relationship be...

Read More

16Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

F1 Miami GP economic impact: $400m, 35,000 room nights and 4,000 new jobs

Formula 1 has announced that it has agreed in principle a deal with the Hard Rock Stadium to host the first-ever F1 Miami Grand Prix. Should it join the United States Grand Prix on the F1 calendar, it’s predicted that the F1 Miami GP could have an economic impact of more than $400m (£311.8m) and bring in 35,000 hotel room nights in South Florida.  The event would also create 4,000 new jobs, according to the organisers. F1.com reports that should the race be given the green light in a vote by the Miami-Dade County on 28 October, it would see Formula 1 return to the state of Florida for the first time since the 1959 United Stated Grand Prix at Sebring. Announcing the agreement, Hard Rock Stadium vice-chairman and CEO Tom Garfinkel and F1’s managing director commercial operations Sean Bra...

Read More

12Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Clarity Sports is launched after recruitment of 17 Thomas Cook Sport staff

Clarity has launched a new sports travel division - Clarity Sports - after recruiting the entire Thomas Cook Sports team travel management team. Within 48 hours of the collapse of Thomas Cook on 23 September, Manchester-based business travel firm Clarity stepped in and employed the Thomas Cook Sport staff. The new division was then created.  Pat McDonagh, CEO of Clarity, said: “Players, fans and officials of multiple teams across football, rugby and cricket have all been left in a very difficult situation following the demise of Thomas Cook Sport.  “The logistics of moving sports teams from game to game is a complex operation and because we were already working with many of these clubs, we were able to move quickly to offer jobs to those impacted by the Thomas Cook situation. They quick...

Read More

12Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

2021 World Athletics Championships: an ‘unparalleled opportunity’ to showcase Oregon

Following the conclusion of the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, the countdown is now on to the next edition of the event which takes place for the first time in the United States.  The 2021 World Athletics Championships will be held from 6-15 August in Eugene, Oregon - better known as “TrackTown USA”. Hayward Field at the University of Oregon will welcome thousands of athletics fans and nearly 2,000 competitors from more than 200 countries for one of the biggest sporting events in 2021. Oregon governor Kate Brown said: “We could not be prouder to bring the World Championships to the United States for the first time ever, and it is only fitting that TrackTown USA serve as the host.  “Oregon is a running mecca, and we are excited to bring the globe’s elite athletes...

Read More

7Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

Grandstand Motor Sports release travel packages for the F1 Abu Dhabi GP

Grandstand Motor Sports is offering two standard travel packages for the 2019 F1 Abu Dhabi GP - the final race of the Formula 1 season. British driver Lewis Hamilton is on track to win a sixth career F1 world title and he will go head-to-head with Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday 1 December. Four-night package Grandstand Motor Sports’s standard four-night package includes return flights from London to Abu Dhabi International Airport with four nights staying at the Beach Rotana Hotel Abu Dhabi (on a B&B basis). This hotel has direct access to the shops and attractions of Abu Dhabi Mall which is adjacent to the hotel.  The package also includes transfers to Yas Marina Circ...

Read More

30Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

Tuscan Tennis Holidays launch hosted trips to 2020 Rome Masters

Tuscan Tennis Holidays has announced details of its hosted trips to the Rome Masters in May 2020. Hosted by company founder Ian Campbell and Laura Middleton, there will be two tennis tours to the Italian capital city where guests can play at a local clay-court club and also watch the ATP Tour stars in action at the tournament. Tuscan Tennis Holidays say that option number one (10-14 May) will allow guests to watch the early rounds of the Rome Masters and have the opportunity to watch the players practice. Option two (14-18 May) will include tickets to the latter stages of the tournament.  Flights and transfers are not included so guests just need to get to Rome.  Once there Ian and Laura, who are both fluent Italian speakers, will take care of everything else. Local accommodation touri...

Read More