Sports Travel

1Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Guides, Sports Travel

NFL 2020-2021 schedule: conference championship games and Super Bowl LV

The NFL’s 2020-2021 regular season is over and the playoffs are in full swing. After the completion of the Wild Card and divisional rounds, it's now time for the AFC and NFC conference championship games on Sunday 24 January. The winners of the championship games will then proceed to Super Bowl LV. This year's Super Bowl will be held on Sunday 7 February 2021 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. NFC Conference Championship  Who: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Green Bay Packers When: Sunday 24 January 2021 Start time: 8.05pm (GMT) UK TV coverage: Sky Sports NFL and Sky Sports Main Event AFC Conference Championship  Who: Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs When: Sunday 24 January 2021 Start time: 11.40pm (GMT) UK TV coverage: Sky Sports NF...

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6Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

F1 Saudi Arabian GP will be ‘biggest sports event in country’s history’

Formula 1 will be heading to Saudi Arabia after it was confirmed that Jeddah will host a grand prix in November 2021.  The city on the Red Sea will be home to the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and take place at night on a street circuit on Jeddah’s corniche. Chase Carey, chairman and CEO of Formula 1, said: “Saudi Arabia is a country that is rapidly becoming a hub for sports and entertainment with many major events taking place there in recent years and we are very pleased that Formula 1 will be racing there from next season.  “The region is hugely important to us and with 70% of the population of Saudi being under 30 we are excited about the potential to reach new fans and bring our existing fans around the world exciting racing from an incredible and historic loc...

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6Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Client news: Enjoy Tatras DMC launch sports travel guide for UK market

Ahead of WTM Virtual 2020, Enjoy Tatras DMC in Slovakia commissioned Sports Tourism Media to create a bespoke and dedicated “sports travel guide” to the Tatras and Liptov mountain region, which brings to life one of Europe’s most enthralling natural environments. The guide is full of inspirational ideas and ways to spend a vacation through active adventure, health and wellness and of course a unique mountain culture with incredible stories to tell.  There are articles on hiking and cycling in a region that is still the habitat for around 150 brown bears, and a focus on the latest health and wellness trends such as “cryotherapy”. There’s also interviews with some of Slovakia’s leading sports stars and a range of “top things to do” lists.   The sports travel guide wi...

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13Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

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

F1 Portuguese Grand Prix: motorsport fans get revved up for Algarve race

Motorsport fans could witness history at the next Formula 1 grand prix when it descends on the beautiful southern shoreline of the Algarve later this month.  Having equalled Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 F1 victories by winning the Eifel GP at the Nürburgring, Lewis Hamilton could go one better with a win in Portugal and write a new chapter in the sport.  For that reason motorsport fans will be even more eager to say “I was there” if indeed Hamilton takes the checkered flag on 25 October.   This year the 2020 Portuguese GP takes place over 66 laps of the 4.684-kilometre Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão.  João Fernandes, president of Algarve Tourism, said: “Formula 1 has been absent from Portugal for 24 years and it is a prestigious int...

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5Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Holidays & Trips, Hotels & Resorts, Sports Business, Sports Travel

Sport + Travel interview: Dinah Josephs, group fitness manager at The Campus, Quinta do Lago, Portugal

The wellness and activity holiday trend has been evolving rapidly over recent years. Right now there has never been a greater need for vacations which enhance your mental and physical needs, and Dinah Josephs, group fitness manager at The Campus, Quinta do Lago, Portugal is at the forefront of facilitating that trend. She has nearly two decades of experience under her belt as an international health, fitness and wellbeing lifestyle professional and consultant, in a range of sports environments. Dinah specialises in yoga practise, personal training, group fitness training, healthy eating, nutritional advice and guidance and natural health using a holistic approach to wellbeing. As for The Campus, Dinah cannot speak highly enough (and without bias) about her place of work. So read o...

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30Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

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

Sport + Travel Interview: Marco Koch – Olympic elite swimmer

It is not often you have the chance to pose questions to a European and World Champion swimmer, who is the former world record holder in the 200 meter breaststroke (short course). So here at Sports Tourism Media we are both excited and delighted to introduce Marco Koch, a German competitive swimmer, specialising in breaststroke events who has competed at the 2012 & 2016 Summer Olympics and took gold at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia. Marco says "I'm in my comfort zone in the water as swimming is my passion. I enjoy every second. The water unfolds my full potential. It carries and leads me. Water gives me a great feeling." (marco-koch.org, 20 Jan 2018). We are grateful Marco has taken time out of a gruelling training regime to answer our questions… Newsletter...

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29Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

Golf’s European Tour heads to Scotland and England as part of second UK swing

The 2020 European Tour golf season heads into the final straight with seven tournaments and a major championship left to play on the schedule. There was no Open Championship this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the Tour’s reworked schedule has included four more events in the UK.  After July and August tournaments in England and Wales, September’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, saw the start of the Tour’s second UK swing in 2020.  The next two events on the schedule - the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and BMW PGA Championship - are part of the Rolex Series, while the Scottish Championship is one of three new tournaments this year.  Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open takes p...

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26Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business, Sports Travel

An £84bn industry in crisis: surely jobs in events and MICE are ‘viable’?

In September the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak outlined the UK government’s “Winter Economy Plan” which will see the furlough scheme replaced and more support given to sectors hit hard by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.  While Sunak unveiled the new Job Support Scheme, which will launch on 1 November for six months, he also announced plans for business loans, VAT cuts and help for the self-employed.  The Treasury also said the new scheme will protect “viable jobs” in companies who are “facing lower demand over the winter months due to coronavirus”. So which jobs are deemed as “viable”. It’s a question many professionals across the UK are seeking answers for. Sky News business presenter Ian King asks: which are the workers who are most at risk of losing...

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13Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Guides, Sports Travel

What is the world’s best sports city? Here’s 30 you should visit…

If you ask the question “what is the world's best sports city?” the answers won’t just be varied but it could also start a huge debate.  Take the United States for example. You have Boston - home of NFL’s New England Patriots, baseball’s Red Sox, NBA’s Celtics and NHL’s Bruins - which was named America’s best sports city in 2020 by Forbes magazine.  Would residents of Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago or New York agree with the Forbes ranking? Of course not, but this is the beauty of such a list, it certainly gets sports fans talking... In February communications agency Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) published its 2020 ranking of the best sports cities and it was New York that took top spot ahead of London, Paris, Los Angeles and Lausanne.   Is New York a b...

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10Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Travel

Sport + Travel Interview: Nicola Checcarelli, an Umbrian elite cyclist

Nicola Checcarelli started cycling as a child, rising to an elite category within the sport whilst competing in Tuscany. He counts himself as extremely lucky to have made cycling, not only his job but his pastime making him a long-time advocate of sports travel to the region. Since 2004, he has covered various journalistic roles, for example, with the Periodical Publishing Company, publisher of the specialized magazines Bicisport, Cicloturismo and Mtb Magazine. This has allowed him to focus on the Umbrian Region, with specific emphasis on the promotion of cycling tourism. He has also worked in specialized cycling shops. He now continues to compete at an amateur level, dealing with bio-mechanics and is also the editor for the online magazine BiciDaStrada.it. As you will continue to re...

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1Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

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

‘Escapade Living’ brings motorsport to your living room window

It is somewhat of an understatement to say that 2020 has been and continues to be a year of seismic changes. The pandemic changed the world as we know it and whilst much pain – mental, physical and economic – continues to affect our lives, it has catalysed the need to for adaptability, innovation and resilience, especially within all areas of the travel sector. Clearly the travel industry that emerges at the end of this year will be very different from the one that entered it. But one thing the pandemic has turbocharged is the growing trend for ‘experiential travel’. Experiential travel – in which the traveller immerses themselves in a destination rather than superficially seeing it – is now coming of age in double time. The sports travel sector is of course at the very forefron...

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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, Stadiums & Venues

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-sk...

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29Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Holidays & Trips, Sports Travel

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

The Sports Travel Blog by Mike Starling, co-editor, Sports Tourism Media  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.  https://twitter.com/MikeJStarling/status/1145776862905405441 Wimbledon 2019  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...

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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 w...

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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 holi...

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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, Fra...

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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 t...

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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 holid...

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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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