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 forefront of ‘experiential travel’ in all its forms. Demand for holidays that included workshops or classes grew by 90% last year. Cut to 2020 and Google searches for ‘wellness retreat’ rocketed by 500% between March and August alone.
Sports arenas are continually being evolved to keep fans and the local community engaged outside of match day activities. Using the stadium to incorporate some form of adrenaline style experience is, nowadays, a pre-requisite for most stadia.
Tottenham Hotspur’s new world-class stadium is a case in point. It includes a visitor attraction ‘The Dare Skywalk’. This heart-pumping adrenaline activity takes adventure seekers to the apex of the arena. Stepping out onto a glass walkway 46.8 metres above the football pitch, and then plotting their course to the stadium’s iconic golden Cockerel, with the bonus of far-reaching views over London.
Now the sports travel industry is raising the stakes, combining luxury accommodation with an immersive sporting experience.
The newly crowned Champions League winners, German football club Bayern Munich, got the ball rolling by unveiling a hotel suite inside its stadium – with prime views of the entire pitch.
Adjacent to the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground, sits the four-star Hilton Garden Inn hotel.The 150-room hotel provides guests with pitch-side views of the action, with a from their rooms or balconies, whether that be international cricket matches or music concerts and conferences.
Now one of the world’s most famous racetracks – Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix – is going one better, by building a development of 60 luxury residences just yards from the legendary tarmac.
The residences, which are being sold to wealthy investors from around the world, are forecast to generate net annual yields of up to 6.5% for their owners when they open to paying guests in 2022.
Clearly a key part of their appeal lies in their unique trackside location, which, for the uninitiated, is the motor racing equivalent of putting a luxury apartment in the Royal Box at Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
But guests will have much more than just a front-row seat on race days. Those who bring their own car or motorbike will be able to put it through its paces on Silverstone’s fabled track, and facilities include state-of-the-art simulator rooms and a driver-focussed gym where guests can train like Lewis Hamilton.
For more information see escapadeliving.com
Image credit: Escapade Living