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Estonia sporting events: a marathon challenge in Tallinn and Tartu
24Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

Estonia sporting events: a marathon challenge in Tallinn and Tartu

Estonia offers a variety of marathon events to participate in. From a month-long virtual marathon to a night run or one of the largest mountain bike marathons in the world, Estonia has a variety of sporting events for visitors to enjoy.  Tallinn Marathon (Image: Jarek Jõepera via Visit Estonia) Tallinn Marathon: 10-12 September 2021 Located in Estonia's capital, the Tallinn Marathon takes place from 10-12 September. It is the largest international running event in Estonia and offers the option to run 5k, 10k or a half-marathon as well as the full distance, making it a great choice for runners of all abilities. The Tallinn Marathon gives the opportunity to complete the race in the beautiful surroundings of the Unesco-declared Old Town, considered one of the best-preserved medieval ...
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HF Holidays unveils ‘wonders of Japan’ guided walking holiday for 2022
22Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

HF Holidays unveils ‘wonders of Japan’ guided walking holiday for 2022

Japan is firmly front and centre in people’s minds this summer. It's a land where the ultra-modern rubs shoulders with ancient traditions, where a peaceful temple can sit in the midst of a frantic city and office-suited residents pass kimono-wearing geisha in the blink of an eye. There is so much to see and do in Japan and HF Holidays has put together a trip which will give guests an insight to some of the country's most captivating places. HF Holidays' itinerary has many exciting experiences to enjoy. Here are a few of the highlights of the Japan guided walking holiday. Uncover Tokyo’s many sides This trip will show the ultramodern city and how it sits cheek-by-jowl with its more tranquil, spiritual side. Guests can enjoy a bird's-eye view across the city from the top of the...
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Football with no fans: study reveals effect of empty stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic
21Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business, Sports Travel

Football with no fans: study reveals effect of empty stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic

With the 2021-2022 English Premier League season kicking off with crowds of fans cheering on their teams, new research has revealed the hugely negative effect of playing professional football games in empty stadiums last season, with home advantage almost halved. Home advantage describes the benefit a sports team playing at their own venue is said to enjoy over the visiting team. This could be attributed to the effect of fans on the players or referee; playing in familiar surroundings and the effects of travel on the visiting team. The new study, by researchers at Northumbria University and the University of Leeds, used the unique opportunity presented by the Covid-19 pandemic to test whether home advantage applies when fans are not present in the stands. The researchers found tha...
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Sport in Northern Ireland: events, activities and things to do
21Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Guides, Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

Sport in Northern Ireland: events, activities and things to do

Northern Ireland's most famous landmark is The Giant's Causeway, but the country is also a giant in the world of golf and the great outdoors. With more than 100 courses, golf is a major attraction for travellers and there’s also plenty of other outdoor activities such as walking, hiking and biking.  For Game of Thrones fans there’s the chance of shooting medieval arrows using ancient bows while experiencing archery at Winterfell Castle. If archery isn’t your thing then why not tour the GoT film locations on a bike?  Top sporting events in Northern Ireland in 2021 Antrim Coast Half Marathon - When: Sunday 29 August - Where: Larne, Northern Ireland - Website: antrimcoasthalfmarathon.com  Lap The Lough - When: Sunday 29 August - Where: Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the Republic of Irela...
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Five of the best surfing spots on The Islands of Tahiti
21Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Guides, Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

Five of the best surfing spots on The Islands of Tahiti

Located in the South Pacific, The Islands of Tahiti consist of 118 islands and atolls, made up of the well-known Society Islands including Tahiti and Bora Bora, Tuamotu Islands, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands and Marquesas Islands. Here the team from The Islands of Tahiti tourism board pick out the five best spots for surfing.  Teahupo’o surf spot © Steve Dickinson Teahupo’o  Home to the best waves, Tahiti is a surfer’s paradise due to its position facing the full uninterrupted force of the South Pacific. The mythical wave of Teahupo’o, located on the Peninsula of the island of Tahiti, presents athletic and ideal surf conditions. The legendary surf spot of Teahupo’o is already part of the various surf spots which The Islands of Tahiti has to offer to both expert and novice ...
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Viktor Troicki to serve up tennis masterclass at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences
20Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Holidays & Trips, Hotels & Resorts, Sports Travel

Viktor Troicki to serve up tennis masterclass at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences

Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences will welcome Serbian former tennis pro Viktor Troicki for an exclusive two-week tennis residency on the island. The Davis Cup winner, who achieved a career high world ranking of No.12, will offer Amilla guests top-class tailored coaching, practice workshops and pro tips from 26 October to 6 November 2021. Troicki became the first tennis player in the Open era to win all three major team competitions, with the World Team Cup in 2009, Davis Cup in 2010 and partnering with Novak Djokovic to win the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020. The 35-year-old announced his retirement from professional tennis at the end of June. Amilla Maldives has a long tradition of serving up some of the biggest names in tennis for one-off exhibitions, residencies and clinics, givin...
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Olympics-inspired things to do in Southampton: cycling, sailing and more
19Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Guides, Sports Travel

Olympics-inspired things to do in Southampton: cycling, sailing and more

Inspired by Team GB’s success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, sports fans heading to Southampton can choose from a range of new tours, events and activities that have launched in the city on England’s south coast. Highlights include: New sightseeing by bike tour A new E-Bike sightseeing tour has launched in Southampton. Local operator Madein:Here has teamed up with SEE Southampton tour guides and The Hub Cycleworks to offer visitors and locals an alternative sightseeing perspective on the city. Led by an accredited guide, the two-hour Classic tour, takes cyclists through the city’s backstreets, parks and cycle paths at a gentle pace, with frequent stops to learn about Southampton’s surprising history. Departing from the Dolphin Hotel (where Jane Austin celebrated her 18th birthday)...
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SportsNOVA: new sports tourism alliance launched in Northern Virginia
15Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business, Sports Travel

SportsNOVA: new sports tourism alliance launched in Northern Virginia

The destination marketing organisations of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford counties have announced the launch of SportsNOVA, a new regional sports tourism partnership that will market Northern Virginia as a premier destination for sports travel events.  With the goal of generating economic impact and fostering community development in the US region, destination partners will work collaboratively to attract multi-sport and large single-sport events that can only be accommodated through a collective effort. Along with this new brand announcement, the group also launched its website – SportsNOVA.com – to promote the region’s top-tier sports facilities, full- and select-service hotels, world-class attractions, shopping, award-winning wineries and breweries, and convenient ...
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Interview: Neymar Jr on his Red Bull five-a-side event, PSG and Lionel Messi
15Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events

Interview: Neymar Jr on his Red Bull five-a-side event, PSG and Lionel Messi

With the 2021 edition of the Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five global football tournament now well under way, the Brazilian star gave his thoughts on this season and his hopes for the future. What's given you the greatest satisfaction in the evolution of your tournament so far?It’s amazing. I remember as if it were today, when they showed me the proposal for the tournament, rules, boxed goals that brought me back to when I was a kid. The objective was transforming Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five into a reference for football players whenever they think of 5-a-side games, and I think we’re on the right track. There have been more than 400,000 people over the last four years, dozens of countries in the qualifiers. It's very cool to see more female teams and more women involved in the tournament, always...
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‘Water wellness’ in Scotland: wild swimming, paddle boarding, walking and more
15Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Guides, Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

‘Water wellness’ in Scotland: wild swimming, paddle boarding, walking and more

It has sculpted Scotland's world-famous landscape, sustained its stunning scenery and borne myths and legends like the Kelpies and Loch Ness Monster, and now the country’s pure waters are riding the wave of a growing wellness trend.  “Water wellness”, also known as Blue Mind (a term coined by marine biologist Wallace J Nichols), is linked to the positive influence water can have on our physical and mental health, that feeling of calm or peacefulness that is sparked when we are in or near water.   Thanks to its many lochs, rivers, canals and coastlines, Scotland is emerging as one of the hottest destinations in the UK to embrace the water wellness movement, with activities such as wild swimming and paddle-boarding quickly becoming lockdown hobbies.  YouGov resea...
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Olympic fever points the way to Paris 2024
9Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Holidays & Trips, Hotels & Resorts, Sports Business, Sports Travel, Venues & Stadiums

Olympic fever points the way to Paris 2024

Team GB secured 65 medals in Tokyo, an amazing haul during any normal Olympic Games, but truly historic when considering this achievement against the backdrop of COVID. Tokyo sits in the history books as Team GB's second-best overseas Olympics and may well be the springboard to greater things in three years time for Paris 2024! France officially becomes the proud host nation of the next Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (the Games of the 33rd Olympiad), receiving the flag from Tokyo at its glittering Closing Ceremony yesterday. Set to take place exactly 100 years after France's last summer Games, Paris 2024 will be the largest event ever organised in the country, running from Friday 26 July until Sunday 11 August 2024. It promises to be an inclusive, interactive and sustainable celebr...
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Delving into Australia’s Sporting Heritage
29Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business, Sports Travel

Delving into Australia’s Sporting Heritage

Cultural Attractions of Australia (CAOA) is a collective of some of Australia’s most iconic landmarks, each with their own heritage, narrative and position in the country’s DNA. The CAOA forms part of Tourism Australia’s initiative “Signature Experiences of Australia Program”. CAOA introduces the global travel industry and traveller to some of Australia’s most iconic landmarks, through ‘experiential’ means, allowing them to engage with the deep-rooted culture of the nation using all the senses. These behind-the-scenes experiences are aimed at bringing to life the many cultural, creative and sporting stories of Australia, and to give voice to the bricks and mortar of these venues which have witnessed so much; “If only these walls could talk” is a well-used adage, yet CAOA is a vehicle which...
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2021 FIA World Rallycross calendar: Nürburgring moved to season finale
25Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Travel

2021 FIA World Rallycross calendar: Nürburgring moved to season finale

Rallycross Promoter GmbH has confirmed that the World RX of Germany at the Nürburgring - scheduled to be the second and third rounds of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship - will be postponed to the end of the season due to the ongoing effects of the widespread recent flooding in the region. The World Championship campaign gets under way in Barcelona from 23-24 July, and the Nürburgring - a new addition to the series’ calendar - had been due to welcome the headlining World RX battle and all-electric FIA RX2e Championship a week later, 31 July to 1 August. The wide-ranging recent floods in Germany have forced the postponement of the event, with the Nürburgring having become a focal point of the rescue and recovery efforts as a collection and distribution centre. The rescheduled...
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Sports travel an active ingredient in ‘Wayward Wanderings’
16Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

Sports travel an active ingredient in ‘Wayward Wanderings’

Anna Maria Espsäter is a London-based, multilingual writer whose career and travels have taken her to 96 countries to date. She has worked on 25+ books for a variety of publishers (Footprint, Berlitz, Michelin and others) and her 450+ features have been published in the UK, US, Australian, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish press. Her most recent book, Wayward Wanderings - A Travel Memoir compiled during lockdown, includes adventure tales of hiking in Eswatini, Morocco, Oman, the Azores and Chile, cycling in South Korea and winter adventures in Finland. Sports Tourism Media is delighted she agreed to give us a snapshot of just some of her experiences..... I grew up in a very sporty Swedish household – my dad represented Sweden at international gymnastics’ competitions and excelled at every sp...
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2021 NFL London games: Falcons face the Jets and Jaguars host the Dolphins
15Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events

2021 NFL London games: Falcons face the Jets and Jaguars host the Dolphins

American football returns to London this autumn with two regular season NFL international matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. On Sunday 10 October the Atlanta Falcons will host the New York Jets then on Sunday 17 October the Jacksonville Jaguars will play the Miami Dolphins. Both games will start at 2.30pm UK time. From 2007 to 2019 there have been 28 NFL London games and this year’s matches will see the first two picks of the 2021 NFL Draft – Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) and Zach Wilson (Jets) – in action.  “We are excited to be returning to London and welcoming back our fans for two great matchups,” said Christopher Halpin, NFL executive vice-president - chief strategy and growth officer. “We expect these games to be a celebration of our sport and our robust UK fan base. ...
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2021 F1 British Grand Prix set for full capacity at Silverstone
27Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

2021 F1 British Grand Prix set for full capacity at Silverstone

The 2021 Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix has been included in the latest phase of the UK Government’s Event Research Programme (ERP) allowing a full capacity crowd for the event from 15-18 July. Silverstone will be in touch with all ticket holders in the coming days with further details about how the Formula 1 British GP will run as a pilot event. Ticket holders will be asked for either proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 48 hours of arrival at Silverstone, or proof of full vaccination, the second dose having been received at least 14 days prior to the first day of attending the British GP. The Silverstone team will be working closely with the ERP experts and particularly the Director of Public Health in Northamptonshire on the specific conditions of entry that wi...
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The Open: 32,000 daily capacity confirmed for 149th championship
19Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

The Open: 32,000 daily capacity confirmed for 149th championship

Up to 32,000 golf fans will be allowed to attend each day of The Open Championship. The 149th Open will be taking place from 15-18 July at The Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, England.  Last year’s event was postponed due to the Covid pandemic and there had been concerns over the capacity for the 2021 edition, Sky Sports reports. However, it has been confirmed that the championship will be included in the UK government’s “Events Research Programme”, which will enable a number of events to take place with higher capacities than present guidance permits. Of the 32,000 fans allowed each day, this will include existing ticket holders and hospitality guests who have already purchased tickets. Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, said: “We are pleased to now be ab...
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Video: ‘It’s a Wimbledon thing’ campaign pays tribute to tennis fans
19Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Business

Video: ‘It’s a Wimbledon thing’ campaign pays tribute to tennis fans

With The Championships just around the corner, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has launched a new campaign - It’s a Wimbledon thing - to celebrate the “uniqueness of Wimbledon fandom”.  The campaign focuses on “the passion that goes beyond tennis”, AELTC said. “No matter where they are around the world, Wimbledon fans take the traditions for which our tournament is known and loved, and make them their own. This campaign is a tribute to them.” After being cancelled last year due to the pandemic, the 2021 Championships will start on 28 June and fans will be welcomed back to SW19.  AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton OBE said of the new It’s a Wimbledon thing campaign: “Last year’s cancellation provided a timely reminder of the immense passion that our fans have for Wimbledon...
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‘Women’s boxing has never been this good’: WBSS launch new tournament
19Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Business

‘Women’s boxing has never been this good’: WBSS launch new tournament

World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) has announced its first ever tournament for women’s boxing.  The WBSS Women’s Super-Featherweight, the sixth edition and third season of WBSS since September 2017, will see one woman from one weight class raise the coveted Muhammad Ali Trophy.  Andreas Benz, CEO of WBSS, says the tournament will provide a “worthy stage” for the world’s top women boxers. He added: “In season one and two we delivered the best tournaments in men’s boxing, but it was always our dream to not only deliver the best tournament in men’s boxing but to prepare a worthy stage for women’s boxing and support these fantastic fighters, too. Now it’s time to realise it.  “It will be much more than the greatest women’s boxing tournament. We plan to strategically help to broaden...
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Ski mountaineering proposed for Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
19Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events

Ski mountaineering proposed for Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games organising committee has officially proposed the inclusion of ski mountaineering to the event’s programme.  In a statement, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said ski mountaineering will be put forward as an additional sport for 2026 and the IOC Executive Board has forwarded this proposal to the next IOC Session in Tokyo in July. The proposal to include ski mountaineering consists of: 5 new medal events: 2 men’s events (Sprint/Individual), 2 women’s events (Sprint/Individual), 1 mixed-gender relay event48 athlete quotas (24 men/24women) to be found within the overall framework of the 2,900 quota These five proposed events will follow the principles set for all other events in the programme, including the implementation of a f...
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