Sports Travel

19Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

England, 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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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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15Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Guides, Holidays & Trips, Scotland, 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 rese...

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9Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Holidays & Trips, Hotels & Resorts, Sports Business, Sports Travel, Stadiums & Venues

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 c...

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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 whic...

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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 reschedule...

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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 s...

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27Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

England, 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 w...

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19Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

England, 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 a...

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14Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Sport + Travel interview: Holger Gassler, head of markets & events, Tirol Tourist Board

Holger Gassler is head of markets & events at the Tirol Tourist Board in Austria. He grew up in the Alpine village of Nassereith in the Tyrolean “Lake District”, right on the border to Bavaria. Travelling the world for Holger, continues to be a lifelong passion, in order to "learn about new cultures and gain new insights"; he has lived and worked in Chicago and Melbourne too. With nearly 20 years' experience under his belt with the Tirol Tourist Board and a passionate sportsman who hikes, mountain bikes, road cycles, swims, skis, ski-tours and dives, we are delighted he has found time to be our next interview guest. Here at Sports Tourism Media we love to cover anything related to Austria, one of Europe's great active, adventure and sports travel destinations and have found the r...

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5Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

Cycling for Softies: take a two-wheel foodie tour of the Cotswolds, France and Italy

Cycling for Softies, a travel company specialising in luxury cycling tours to destinations renowned for their fantastic food, has picked out the perfect trips for foodie cyclists. On the menu are self-guided tours in Italy, France and the Cotswolds in England. Self-guided cycling: A Taste of Italy Famed for its gastronomy, where better to head for an appetising adventure than Italy’s Emilia Romagna region. Combine history, art and culture with locally-produced food and drink, all leisurely explored from the seat of a bicycle. By day, explore gastronomic history in Bologna, the elegant centre of Modena and visit an “acetaia” to discover how the deliciously sweet, rich vinegar is made. During the evenings, savour gourmet evening meals that include some of the finest traditional fayre...

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5Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, London, Sports Travel

‘Tokyo 1964: Designing Tomorrow’ exhibition to open at Japan House London

Tokyo 1964: Designing Tomorrow, an exhibition exploring the cultural and design legacy behind the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games, will open at Japan House London on 5 August 2021. Sharing stories and artefacts never seen before in the UK, the exhibition will run until 7 November. The 1964 Games were Japan’s first, large-scale engagement with the world after the Second World War. They presented a chance to tell a fresh story and showcase Japanese creativity and design thinking across the globe, an opportunity elevated by the 1964 Games being the first to be broadcast in colour on TV to a world-wide audience via satellite. Exhibits on display include: Original 1964 posters designed by Kamekura Yūsaku and the award-winning team of post-war designers, marking the first time that photograph...

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1Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

10,000 fans allowed at each Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games venue

The spectator numbers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been announced. Each venue will have a 50% capacity limit, up to a maximum of 10,000 people.  In March it was confirmed that overseas spectators would not be able to enter Japan for the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games due to Covid-19 restrictions. Only Japanese residents will be allowed to attend the summer games. In a joint statement, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan announced the following decisions:  In light of the government’s restrictions on public events, the spectator limit for the Olympic Games will be set at "50% of venue capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000 people” at ...

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1Jun By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Guides, Sports Travel

An in-depth guide to… Uefa Euro 2020

An in-depth guide to... EURO 2020 Delayed for 12 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 16th edition of Uefa’s European Championship will be held in the summer of 2021. Still marketed as Euro 2020, the tournament will see 51 matches played in 11 host cities across Europe. The Stadio Olimpico in Rome will host the opening match on 11 June - a group A clash between Turkey and Italy. London’s Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals on 6 and 7 July and also the Euro 2020 final on Sunday 11 July.Portugal go into the tournament as the defending champions and for British football fans a highlight will be the group D game between England and Scotland at Wembley on Friday 18 June.Here we look at the groups, fixtures and host venues (all times BST). ...

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31May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

An Ocean Independence conversation with Rafael Nadal

Images: Ocean Independence We are definitely kicking-off a summer of tennis in style! Our friends at Ocean Independence (OI) had a conversation with 20-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal to find out a little more about one of the world's greatest ever tennis players, especially as he kicks off his French Open title defence in Paris. Through Ocean Independence, Sports Tourism Media (STM) jumped at the chance to feature a chat with Nadal about his affinity with the ocean and his treasured yacht. An experienced boat owner, Nadal has been passionate about yachting since childhood, and seizes every opportunity to be on the sea with friends and family. The idea to build a customised catamaran has been part of the superstar athlete’s plans for a while. Seduced by both the yacht’s design a...

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26May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Cardiff, Edinburgh, England, Holidays & Trips, London, Scotland, Sports Travel, Wales

#12NightsOutIn1Year: Cycling UK and Ordnance Survey launch ‘bikepacking’ challenge

Cycling UK and Ordnance Survey have announced details of a year-long “bikepacking” challenge to help more people discover and enjoy the great outdoors. The #12NightsOutIn1Year challenge will encourage entrants to head out on their bike and experience a night beneath the stars, in a tent, bivi bag or hammock, at least once a month over the course of a year and to photograph their experiences. Each month, participants who have posted their photos and experiences on Instagram using the #12NightsOutIn1Year hashtag will automatically be entered into a monthly competition to win a range of cycle and navigation related prizes. Nick Giles, managing director of Ordnance Survey Leisure, said: “We passionately believe in the benefits the great outdoors can bring to us all. Through our app, ...

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3May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

Flying high: professional sport fuels trend towards private jet use

Whilst the majority of us were unable to travel further than our home office, elite athletes and professional sport continued behind closed doors in the past year, despite a series of lockdowns. To enable teams to do this in the safest and most efficient way, many have taken to the skies through private jet charters. Sports Tourism Media spoke to Clive Chalmers, VP Charter UK, at Air Partner to find out more about the rising demand in sports travel and overall trend pointing towards greater private jet travel from other industries too. Private jets have largely been the preserve of royalty, high-net-worth individuals, CEOs and superstars – but are you seeing new clients and demand especially from the sports sector and first-time users?   Over our 60 years in aviation we have worked ...

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3May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

£30m relaunch: Apes Hill in Barbados aims to become ‘the best golfing experience in the Caribbean’

A golf performance and teaching centre featuring a state-of-the-art Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), the first of its kind in the Caribbean, will open at Apes Hill Golf & Beach Club in Barbados in January 2022.  Utilising the latest technology and a science-based approach, Apes Hill's Golf Performance and Teaching Centre will evaluate every aspect of a player's game to perfect their swing and unlock their full potential. Apes Hill has worked with experts Dave Phillips and Tim Cutshall in designing and fitting the centre. Key features will include a specialised swing analysis teaching bay with a PuttView ball tracking green and an agnostic club fitting system with trackman technology. Currently undergoing a £30m renovation, Apes Hill Golf & Beach Club is relaunchi...

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3May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

Alicante in Spain named as a host city for The Ocean Race Europe 2021

The inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe will be heading to Alicante after the popular Spanish destination was added as a host city for the sailing spectacular taking place in May and June. Starting in Lorient, France, on 29 May, The Ocean Race Europe will then go to Cascais, Portugal, and Alicante before finishing in Genoa, Italy.  Alicante is very familiar territory for The Ocean Race, as the home of both the race headquarters and the venue for each of the around the world race starts since 2008. “We are very excited that Alicante, the current headquarters of The Ocean Race and the home of The Ocean Race Museum, will host the penultimate stop of this new event, The Ocean Race Europe,” said Antonio Rodes, general director of Sociedad Proyectos Temáticos of the Valencian Regio...

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11Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Qatar promotes sand dunes experiences to entice skiers and snowboarders

Skiers and snowboarders who missed out on their annual snow holiday are being offered an alternative: the desert sand dunes of Qatar. Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has launched a partnership with Q Explorer Tourism to give ski and snowboard fans the opportunity to get their annual adrenaline fix - with the tour company offering up to a third off the price of sand sports experiences until September 2021. The spectacular dunes of Khor Al Adaid, otherwise known as the Inland Sea, offer a mesmerising alternative to tried and tested ski slopes and are waiting to be discovered by adventure-loving travellers. Skiers and snowboarders are reminded to pack their sunscreen - to avoid goggle marks from the warm winter sun. Q Explorer Tourism is promoting three package deals for day t...

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