A heroes send off from British Airways for Team UK

BRITISH Airways is proud to announce it will be the official airline partner of Team UK, a 72-strong group of wounded, injured and sick serving military personnel and veterans, who have been specially selected to represent Great Britain at the #Invictus Games #Sydney 2018, presented by Jaguar Land Rover.

The competitors, along with their families and support staff, will head down under on October 15 after a heroes’ send-off at Heathrow. During the games, which run from October 20 to 27, the team will participate in 10 different adaptive sports against 500 men and women from 18 countries.

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Game, Set and Bagel

AT Bruegger's Bagels, a bagel is an authentic, New York-style, kettle-boiled-then-baked ring of bread. But in #tennis, a "bagel" is a set that ends in 6-0. That's why Bruegger's is getting in on the U.S. Open fun and giving away bagels for "bagels."

If there's a "bagel" at any time during the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, or Finals of this year's men's, women's or doubles matches at the U.S. Open, Bruegger's will offer one free bagel and cream cheese to every member of its Bruegger's Bagels Inner Circle rewards program, redeemable from September 18-20.

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Best golf destinations for November

WHEN it comes to choosing the best destinations for golf this November, a few places really stand out. Here is a brief look at 3 fabulous November 2018 destinations for golf.

Playa del Carmen: Mayakoba Golf Classic - The Mayakoba Golf Classic is not just the centerpiece of the PGA Tour and golf but at the same time, it is also a cultural attraction for people who are thinking of visiting Mexico this November.  The Mayakoba Golf Classic was first introduced in the year 2007 and since then it has contributed millions of dollars to different charities and philanthropic causes. It has also contributed to the welfare of communities including the Playa del Carmen. This classic is going to be held from November 5th to November 11th 2018. 

Dubai: DP World Tour Championship - The DP World Tour Championship will be held in Dubai from November 15th to November 18th 2018. This is a top golf destination if only because it gives you an excellent opportunity to watch the top sixty European Tour players compete in the last event of the Race to Dubai. General admission to this tournament won’t cost you anything though you may have to undergo pre-registration for free fast-track entry tickets.

Antalya, Turkey: European Tour Turkish Airlines Open, Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort - The Turkish Airlines Open takes place from the 1st of November to 4th November 2018. The 2017 winner Justin Rose will be defending his title, and this event also happens to be the sixth Rolex Series event of the European Tour of 2018. The total prize money at this event is seven million dollars and in addition, this event is also the most exciting tournament to be added to the 2018 European Tour.

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Until we meet again Moscow

 SHEREMETYEVO International Airport has bid farewell to the players and fans of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. For the past month, Sheremetyevo International Airport witnessed about 33 800 takeoff and landing operations and 4.7 million passengers. The growth was due to the growing demand for air travel during summer holiday season as well as football fans from all over the world, who visited #Moscow and took part in the most anticipated sporting event of the year.

The new Terminal B and the tunnel connecting Sheremtyevo-1 and Sheremetyevo-2 were constructed for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and are part of the Long-Term Development Plan. This plan ensures that Sheremetyevo will increase its capacity to 80 million passengers per year by 2026, making it one of the top 10 largest passenger hubs in the world. The success of the World Cup demonstrates that the Long-Term Development Plan is on pace to meet that target.

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Flying Regatta in Martinique

THE #Martinique Flying Regatta will take place from November 17 to 24, 2018. It will be the world’s signature international foiling event. The bay of Fort-de-France is the perfect location to run a race and showcase these hydro-foil sailboats that represent the technological future of competitive sailing. 

Inducted into the prestigious club of “The Most Beautiful Bays in the World,” the Fort-de-France Bay is particularly well suited for these #sailing boats, with is vast and protected 28 square miles (72km2) of maritime space. Wrapped in the island’s low 80's temperatures the bay’s steady, moderate winds and smooth seas will provide these speedsters with perfect conditions.

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Final swing in the Seychelles

PREVIOUSLY the European Senior Tour, the 2018 Staysure Tour is the men’s professional golf tour for members aged 50 and older. The MCB Tour Championship will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

The Seychelles Tourism Board has announced that the 2018 Staysure Tour season will end in the island of Praslin at Constance Lemuria, one of Seychelles’ most exquisite golf courses. Staysure Tour members will compete for almost £600K (US$800K) in prize money at the MCB Tour Championship from 14 to 16 December.

This is the first time the #Seychelles will host a #golf tournament of such calibre, and the archipelago is bound to impress. Stunning natural surroundings, year-round sunshine and warm weather, welcoming hospitality and world-class golf courses make the Seychelles a golfer’s dream.


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Links with history

DURING a spectacular summer of #golf, a group of historic golf clubs will celebrate a number of important milestones that coincide with The Open and the Seniors Open returning to #Scotland. Links with History, which features some of the finest courses in Fife, has announced a run of notable anniversaries as well as confirming encouraging year-on-year booking figures.

Links with History is a group of great golf courses and glorious histories, made up of four historic golf clubs; Crail Golfing Society est 1786; Scotscraig Golf Club est 1817; Lundin Golf Club est 1868 and Ladybank Golf Club est 1879. The clubs involved include former Open Championship Final Qualifying venues as well as trailblazers from golf’s golden era. 

www.linkswithhistory.com

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New world-class sporting event for London

BRITISH Athletics has confirmed that eight of the worlds top athletics nations will compete in the Athletics World Cup London 2018 this summer.

Following on from the success of London 2017 which saw the capital become the first city ever to stage both the World Para Athletics and IAAF World Athletics Championships in the same year, fans of the sport will once again see the best countries competing in the UK, in the greatest athletics stadium in the world.

Athletes from USA, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Poland, China, Germany, France, Jamaica and South Africa will compete in the ground-breaking two-day event on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 July at the London Stadium.

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Head to Hong Kong for a try

THE world’s greatest rugby players will descend on the vibrant city of Hong Kong for the forty-third #Rugby Sevens tournament in April. The roar of more than 120,000 passionate spectators will engulf the stadium to create an electric atmosphere as international teams battle it out for glory and honour. 

The three day event will be held at Hong Kong’s largest outdoor sports venue, #HongKong Stadium. Located amongst the foothills in the south of Causeway Bay, the stadium delivers picturesque surrounds with easy access via the MTR (Hong Kong’s railway system), plus loads of surrounding restaurants and bars where visitors can refuel. But the party doesn’t stop there, the whole city embraces the excitement from fancy dress costumes to the Fan Zone in Central and special dedicated events, it’s a Rugby fiesta.

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All aboard for the KTX train to the 2018 Winter Olympics

TRAVELLERS visiting #Korea for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games will be easily able to make their way between Seoul and the Winter Olympic venues when the new KTX Gyeonggang Line opens at the end of December just in time for the #WinterOlympic Games next February (9-25 Feb). 

The new line from Seoul to Gangneung on the east coast will service the main Olympic transport hubs of Pyeongchang, Jinbu and Gangneung making it very easy for athletes and visitors to the Games to travel smoothly and quickly to their destinations.

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Website launched for rugby fans ahead of World Cup in 2019

JAPAN National Tourism Organization (JNTO) launched a brand new website to provide information to travellers for the #Rugby World Cup 2019 held across #Japan. The aim of the website is to highlight important details of the twelve host cities including access, local food and drink, places of interest and model itineraries. It is a great opportunity for rugby fans who are visiting each city for the games to explore the local area pre and post match. 

The site will also provide information on where each team is playing, the times and locations of each match plus general match venue details such as stadium access. JNTO will continue to add new information to expand the website as the official kick-off approaches , with the first game to be played in Tokyo between Japan and the winner of the Europe qualifiers on Friday, 20 September, 2019. 

Future additions include the most recent event news, details about fan zones and further sightseeing information. To learn more about the Rugby World Cup 2019’s Japanese host cities, please visit: visitjapan2019.com. The website is available in English, French and Italian. 

The Rugby World Cup 2019, Japan will be held from 20 September to 2 November, 2019, with the final match to be played at International Stadium Yokohama. 


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World Masters Games open in New Zealand April 21st

THE largest event New Zealand will host in the next decade kicks off this week when the World Masters Games opens in Auckland – and the event is about more than just sport.

For Tourism #NewZealand, the games are a major opportunity to encourage as many of the international participants, their family and friends, to stay longer and travel further afield in New Zealand before or after the Games.

The #WorldMastersGames involves athletes ranging from 25 to 60+ with the oldest competitor aged 101. The average competitor is in their mid-forties. This takes in TNZ’s key target age groups of independent professionals through to active, older people, many of whom can stay longer and spend more while they are here.

The athletes will compete across 28 sports at 46 venues throughout the Auckland region and two in the Waikato. The World Masters Games will run for 10 days from 21 April. For more information, visit World Masters Games.

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Rugby World Cup 2019

MOMENTUM is building towards the Rugby World Cup 2019, which will be held in #Japan ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Games the following year in 2020. It is the first time that the #RugbyWorldCup will take place in Asia. 

The 12 stadium venues are spread throughout Japan from Sapporo City in the northernmost main island of Hokkaido right down to Kumamoto City in the south, there is also a healthy mix of stadium capacities ranging from 80,000 in Tokyo to 15,000 at Kamaishi City in Iwate Prefecture. The venues have been announced as;

• Sapporo Dome

• Kamaishi Unosumai Stadium

• Kumagaya Rugby Stadium

• Tokyo Stadium

• International Stadium Yokohama

• Ogasayama Sports Park Ecopa

• Toyota Stadium

• Hanazono Rugby Stadium

• Misaki Park Stadium

• Higashihirao Park Hakatanomori Stadium

• Kumamoto Prefectural Sports Park Track and Field Stadium

• Oita Stadium

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Picture Credit: Caza_No_7 flickr.com/photos/32365888@N05/3110313158 The Gentlemen Moore RUFC via photopin

London: Top global sports city

THE Global Sports Cities Index 2016 was revealed during the Global #Sports #Tourism Summit at the World Travel Market in London on Monday.

London has hosted, or is set to host, 13 world championships and multi-sports games over the analysed period (2010-2023). Only Moscow (16) and Paris (14), and a 2024 Olympic Games candidate city will host more events during this period. However, these do not score as highly as the events taking place in London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London has rightly retained the title of sporting capital of the world following a great year hosting NFL at Wembley and Twickenham, Andy Murray's great win at Wimbledon and‎ the European Aquatics Championships at the London Aquatic Centre, to name but a few. The Global Sports Cities Index confirms that London is open to the world for staging spectacular events."

Top ten global sports cities were:

1. London
2. Rio de Janiero
3. Tokoyo
4. Moscow
5. Doha
6. Paris
7. Budapest
8. Copenhagen
9. Beijing
10. Kazan

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Sport and culture boost capital’s economy

MAJOR sporting and cultural events have contributed £2.2 billion to London’s economy since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to a report by #London & Partners.

The biggest event – last year’s Rugby World Cup – generated £539 million, while major cultural events such as Lumiere London, plus numerous concerts and festivals delivered a combined £560 million.

Cycling events including the Prudential RideLondon, the Tour of Britain, and the UCI Track Cycling World Championships have contributed £149 million since 2012.

Future London sporting events include the IPC and IAAF World Athletics Championships in 2017, the Cricket World Cup in 2019, and the semi-finals and final of the UEFA EURO 2020 Championships.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘These figures underline the enormous contribution major events make to the economy in London and the entire country. The message is loud and clear: London is open to visitors from around the world, who come to enjoy the incredible range of events and attractions on offer in the capital.

‘From major sporting events like the Rugby World Cup and next year’s World Athletics and ParaAthletics Championships, to an incredible array of arts, history and entertainment, London’s sporting and cultural offer is one of the key reasons why this is the greatest city in the world.’

The £2.2 billion figure includes spending by visitors watching events which have come to London since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These include the Tour de France, Formula E and ITU World Series Triathlon, as well as long-standing events such as the Wimbledon Championships, Tour of Britain, the London Marathon and large concerts and festivals.

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Picture Credit: 23303817@N03/7748901560">LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com

Rugby’s 2017 world cup kicks off

THE RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2017 (RLWC2017) has established its official travel office for the tournament which will be played out in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea from October 27 to December 2 next year. 

Mummu Sport – a global sports travel and event company – is the official Master Travel Agent for the sport’s pinnacle international tournament and will operate the RLWC2017 travel office.

Said #RLWC2017 chief executive Michael Brown: ‘With less than 500 days until the opening game, the organising committee is entering an exciting phase in the delivery of the event. We will soon unveil the official tournament draw and release ticketing details and hospitality programmes for what we believe will be the greatest ever #Rugby League World Cup.

‘To have the Rugby League World Cup 2017 contested in three countries provides an exciting dimension to the tournament and we look forward to working with Mummu Sport on delivering a fan experience beyond expectation.’

A range of international and local packages will feature competitive airfare and accommodation deals, and include other exciting event elements such as VIP experiences, official merchandise, functions and hospitality events.

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Get racing for Rotary

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL in Britain and Ireland continues its established partnership with #Ironman2016, with charity fundraising sports events in Dublin, Staffordshire, Bolton, South Pembrokeshire in Wales, and Wimbleball on Exmoor. 

The events are triathlons comprising swimming, cycling, and running, and are timed to run through the summer from June to September.

The partnership enables athletes and individuals to raise funds for good causes while taking part in a variety of activities. Competitors benefit from 'free entry' to the event or race, and they get a package comprising training and kit by pledging to raise a specific amount for charity.

#Rotarycharityfundraisers support local, regional, and national charities that come within five areas: 

• Children's hospices 
• Life education centres 
• Cancer charities 
• Air Ambulance 
• Services charities 

Fundraisers have the opportunity to nominate their own charity to receive a portion of the money they raise.

For full details, go to www.rotarycharityfundraisers.org/ironman_2016

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51520012@N05/7629399144">Ironman UK 5343</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)

Ryanair plans dedicated Euro 2016 flights

RYANAIR has launched England #Euro2016 return specials from London and Manchester for England’s Group B games against Russia (in Marseille) and Wales (in Lens, Belgium), following demand from England fans.

The Irish carrier has scheduled three extra flights in total, including an extra London Stansted flight to Marseille for England v Russia (June 11, and from Manchester to Brussels Charleroi for England v Wales (June 16) in nearby Lens.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32008328@N08/21110803558">Fútbol</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Travel shorts …

SOUTH AFRICAN province #KwaZulu-Natal is seeking to double its UK visitor numbers as its largest city gears up to host the #2022CommonwealthGames. Durban will be the first African city to hold the sporting event. 

Tourism chief Ndabo Khoza, says the higher profile of the province combined with several new flight options starting in December could double the number of UK arrivals from 48,000 last year to approximately 100,000 by 2022. Mr Khoza said 80% of the infrastructure – including the main athletic stadium and the majority of the 8,000 hotel rooms required – was already in place. 


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UK’s visitor attractions drive £3.8 billion domestic spend

BRITAIN’S visitor attractions generate annual domestic spend worth £3.8 billion according to research by VisitEngland. It means attractions such as theme parks are one of the main reasons for Brits choosing to holiday at home. 

The second highest revenue-generating domestic activity is the live sport event, (they ploughs £3.2 billion a year into the UK economy), while spend on live music events and festivals comes a close third at £3.1 billion annually.

‘This research is welcome news, confirming the huge contribution that the variety of leisure activities in this country make to the economy,” said VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford. 

Long walks and hikes generate £1.8 billion spend annually and cycling and mountain biking contributes £520 million.
Other domestic revenue generators include visiting historic buildings (£2.2 billion), city sightseeing (£2 billion), visiting art galleries and museums (£1.9 billion), attending the theatre (£1.8 billion), and visiting zoos and aquariums (£1.4 billion). 

The domestic tourism industry has seen a record-breaking January to June period this year, with the number of trips taken in England up 14% year on year and spending up 13%.

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