Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has once again organized a successful Formula Run hosting over 1,000 participants with a passion for adventure and sports across four racing tracks last week.The race comprised of four separate routes for each running level, including a 2.5km, 5km and 10km route and a complementary 499-meter mini run tailored for little ones under 8 years old.Each race included three podium spots where top runners were crowned and awarded gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively, in recognition of their achievement. All participants received a bespoke Formula Run finisher’s medal embroidered with Ferrari World Abu Dhabi’s logo and a complementary Formula Run T-shirt at the end of the race.
Ferrari World is an award winning entertainment hub, winning the World Travel Award in 2022 for World’s Leading Theme Park based on Yas Island which itself won the award for World’s Leading Theme Park Destination.

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PortAventura World has inaugurated its new attraction ‘Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence’, the only one in the world inspired by the Uncharted movie, from Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is an indoor roller coaster with five launches, with unexpected twists and turns, and the first in Europe to have a lateral drop.
David García, Managing Director of PortAventura World, articulated, “this attraction is the outcome of a pivotal agreement with an industry giant in entertainment, Sony Pictures. The alliance permits us to extend our global footprint, by means of a product that is truly state-of-the-art on an international scale and stands equal to the finest attractions globally. With this ride, our guests can anticipate an unmatched, innovative experience that enhances the diversity and quality of attractions offered. All of this reinforces our position as one of the premier tourist destinations in both Europe and the world.”
Jeffrey Godsick, Executive Vice President, Brand Strategy and Partnerships, Head of Location Based Entertainment of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said “the opening of Uncharted, the ride, is a testament to PortAventura’s expertise in attraction development. A display of safety and care with the IP was evident from fabrication through completion. PortAventura World is known for adventure and our global teams, including PlayStation, have worked collectively to ensure all guests can look forward to becoming Uncharted explorers.”
Built on a base measuring 4,800 m2 and standing 16 metres high, this dark ride roller coaster, designed as a family concept, takes visitors on a 673-metre journey completely in the dark where they will be amazed by a multitude of audiovisual effects and immersive experiences, all based on Uncharted, released in cinemas in 2022.
As part of PortAventura World’s social commitment to offer inclusive leisure, the attraction has developed an exclusive experience for visitors with functional diversity. This is a virtual reality space where they can delve into the story of the attraction as if they had been on the ride. In addition, the roller coaster has barrier-free access.ADVERTISEMENT

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Harry Potter Stars Return to Hogwarts to Celebrate the Opening of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo celebrated its grand opening with a magical red carpet event attended by Harry Potter actors Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) who joined local stars to mark the occasion.
Excited fans lined the red carpet to see the Harry Potter actors as well as celebrities including voice actor Mamoru Miyano, musician DAIGO, Kabuki actor Matsuya Onoe and NiziU member Nina. Guests to the event were amongst the first to experience the wonder of the Studio Tour in its entirety. After walking through the iconic Great Hall, they ventured into the Forbidden Forest, explored Diagon Alley and discovered sets only available in Tokyo, including the Ministry of Magic.
Torben Jensen, GM Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo said “After two years of hard work and preparation, we couldn’t be more excited to open the doors and welcome Harry Potter fans to experience Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo.”
The attraction officially opens to visitors for the first time today with fans coming from across the globe to experience the magic. The Studio Tour is the first of its kind in Asia and offers fans the chance to discover the behind-the-scenes secrets that went into creating one of the most successful film series of all time.
Actor Tom Felton, known for portraying Harry Potter’s enemy Draco Malfoy, returned to the Studio Tour this morning for the official opening ceremony. He was joined by Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Kazushige Tanaka, Director-General of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Rumi Furuya, Commissioner of the Bureau of Construction to cast the ‘alohamora’ spell to officially welcome guests to the Studio Tour.ADVERTISEMENTAbout Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo will officially open its doors on Friday 16th June 2023. Opening for the first time in Tokyo, this brand-new Studio Tour will invite fans to step onto breathtaking sets including the iconic Great Hall at Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest where they will see exquisite costumes and come face to face with magical creatures while learning filmmaking secrets. Fans will also enjoy lots of fun activities including riding a broomstick, drinking a refreshing Butterbeer, appearing in a moving portrait in the halls of Hogwarts, stepping into the crowd of a Quidditch game and shopping from a huge range of products, many of which are only available at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo.
The Studio Tour will also be home to the largest Harry Potter shop in the world, featuring 14 themed sections that are decorated with over 7,000 bespoke and specially sourced props. The areas are beautifully designed and take inspiration from elements of the shops on Diagon Alley including Honeydukes, Ollivanders and Flourish and Blotts. A huge range of products will be available to buy, many of which have been exclusively developed for Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo. In addition, visitors can enjoy a choice of restaurants and cafés which will serve a celebration of traditional British fare such as fish and chips, roast beef, English breakfast and Afternoon Tea.
This will be the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction in the world and visitors can expect to spend around four hours exploring the only Warner Bros. Studio Tour to open in Asia. Building on the phenomenal success of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – the Making of Harry Potter which opened in 2012 and has maintained exceptional visitor reviews, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo will feature exclusive sets only available in this location, providing visitors with an experience like no other.

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The National Park Foundation and partners are excited to announce the winners of the 2022 Share the Experience photo contest and launch the 2023 contest.The Share the Experience photo contest invites amateur photographers to share photos of their favorite views, moments, memories, and adventures from national parks and public lands across the United States, with safety top of mind.
“America’s national parks are home to a tremendous diversity of natural landscapes, wildlife, history and heritage,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “Congratulations to this year’s contest winners whose images capture the beauty of parks inspired by each photographer’s unique personal connection to these places we share.”
Nearly 8,000 photos were submitted to the contest which ran from June 22, 2022 through December 31, 2022. The winning image is featured on the America the Beautiful: The National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass, which covers entrance and standard amenity fees for participating federal locations throughout the country.
Top Three Winners
ADVERTISEMENTFirst place: A colorful Eastern Collared Lizard stands out bright and beautiful among the desert landscape of Wupatki National Monument. This photo, captured by Paulette Donnellon, will be featured on the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.Second place: A photograph by Aaron Enloe of a sunlit creek with a backdrop of snow-covered mountains in Inyo National Forest. Third place: Josh Keogh’s photo captures a peaceful moment while kayaking at sunset along the minor islands at Isle Royale National Park.The National Park Foundation is also excited to launch the 2023 Share the Experience photo contest with co-sponsor Booz Allen Hamilton, the contractor and partner for the Recreation.gov platform. This year’s contest invites amateur photographers to submit their favorite recent shots.
The grand prize for the winning image is $10,000, followed by $5,000 and $3,000 for second and third place. Winners also receive outdoor gear provided by Celestron and Hydro Flask, hotel vouchers courtesy of Historic Hotels of America®, and an annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.
Prizes will also be awarded for the following six categories:
Outdoors for All
Demonstrate how public lands welcome and connect us by highlighting the diversity of locations, activities, and visitors. This category spotlights people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, exploring and enjoying the spectrum of experiences available at our public lands and waters.Everyday Adventures
An incredible experience doesn’t require visiting an iconic destination. Adventure can be found in the everyday. Discover new places and capture activities and imagery from lesser-known public lands and waters across the country.History & Heritage

From monuments and battlefields to re-enactments and cultural celebrations, this category is meant to showcase the rich history and diversity of the United States and the special places and traditions that preserve and promote them.Scenery & Seasons
The scenic vistas, sweeping landscapes, and beautiful flora of public lands can be found in far-off locales or closer to home than you think – capture fall foliage, forests, winter wonderlands, flowers, mountains, deserts, canyons, lakes, seashores, rivers and more.Wildlife
Take a walk on the wild side with photos of the incredible array of animals that call federal lands and waters home. Remember to always keep your distance and stay safe!Night Skies
Starlight and starbright, capture the magic of a night out under the stars. Slow the shutter speed down and see what develops! Remember to stay in designated areas and follow all guidelines about hours for visitation.The 2023 Share the Experience photo contest is hosted by the National Park Foundation and Booz Allen Hamilton in partnership with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and Recreation.gov. Share the Experience is the official photo contest of America’s national parks and federal recreational lands and waters, showcasing the more than 500 million acres of federal lands and waters and drawing entries from across the United States. The 2023 contest is now open and accepting entries through December 31.
Please visit sharetheexperience.org to learn more about the contest, including how to submit an image, the full list of prizing, and contest rules. You can also follow @NationalParkFoundation on Instagram for photo inspiration.

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Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) CEO Issam Kazim has told the emirate’s hospitality leaders he wants to convert holiday-makers into residents.
Speaking at DET’s latest City Briefing, held at Dubai World Trade Centre on Thursday June 15, Kazim said: “Today we have two new KPIs. We want to make sure Dubai continues to be one of the best cities to work in, and more importantly, one of the best cities in the world to live in.”Around a quarter of all Dubai tourists return within a year. Kazim said convincing those people to make Dubai a permanent home is key.He added: “Once you bring them in, you’d hope they spend more money next time and stay for longer. Eventually, they would consider living in Dubai, and we have all the visas to facilitate that. We’d like them to work here, live here and retire here.
“It’s all about closing the loop.”
Dubai has a high proportion of tourists visiting friends and family, Kazim explained. “The more we grow the community here locally,” he added. “It both retains spend, and it brings in even more first-time visitors. That needs to continue.”
The latest data from Dubai’s tourism performance (which goes up to April 2023) shows that the average length of stay in the city is four nights. Increased from 2019. In total, 6.02 international visitors came to Dubai from January to April 2023, closing the gap on 2019’s 6.26 million during the same period.ADVERTISEMENTDubai’s population is around 3.5 million, 85 percent of which are expats.The Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) plans to add billions of dirhams to the economy across more than 100 projects in the next 10 years. It was announced at the start of the year by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
By 2033, Sheikh Mohammed would like to see Dubai one of the top four global financial centres, doubling the city’s economy.
The plan includes a programme to support 30 private companies to achieve unicorn status ― worth more than US$1 billion (about AED3.67 billion). Other business incubators will support the growth of private companies, with 400 of the most promising identified.
Dubai was voted Middle East’s Leading City Destination 2022 at last year’s World Travel Awards.
Source: Hotelier Middle East

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A new project from Modon Properties has been announced, located on Abu Dhabi’s Hudayriyat Island, and featuring what they’re calling the world’s “largest man-made wave pool.”
“Set to open by the end of 2023, Surf Abu Dhabi will be the biggest and most advanced artificial wave facility in the world. Designed in partnership with Kelly Slater Wave Co., the landmark destination will offer a high-performance surfing experience, featuring the world’s longest ride, biggest barrel, and largest man-made wave pool. Underscoring Abu Dhabi’s sporting and leisure credentials, the exclusive surfing complex seeks to attract everyone from beginners to pro-surfers. Surf Abu Dhabi will provide an ideal location to host major international events and will play a major role in developing the surfing community locally, regionally, and globally.”
Specifics on just how big the pool will be, and the size of the waves it will be able to produce, are still scarce. However, per a report from TimeOut, the pool will span 51 million square meters. The Surf Ranch in Lemoore, CA is reportedly 2,300 feet long – that’s only 700 meters.
So, it’s bigger. Much bigger. You do the maths.

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Public, private and academic sectors uniteIn line with Sustainable Development Goal 17 on partnerships for development, the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses project brings together leading businesses and top scholars with the multilateral system to co-design a measurement tool that is meaningful and feasible for improved monitoring how tourism businesses impact, and depend on, people, planet and prosperity. UNWTO and Oxford University will carry out a comprehensive mapping of current work, interview pioneering businesses in the accommodation and reservation services industries, and further research and development.
Based on this work, UNWTO plans to issue a first beta version of the ESG Tourism Framework for accommodation and reservation services, with a view to extending it into additional tourism industries over 2024 and launch the finalized, agreed version for global uptake.
UNWTO Executive Director, Zoritsa Urosevic, said “By drawing on the power of international consensus – based on the forthcoming UN Statistical Framework for Measuring Sustainable Tourism (MST) – the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses will provide a comparable and relevant set of indicators for tourism industries. It will empower private and public sectors with more robust data to shape innovative policies, transform business models and promote better tourism governance”.
“The ESG Framework brings together the University of Oxford’s world class academic research with the international consensus-building ability and expertise of the UNWTO.  Ensuring that this strategic approach is matched with real-world testing and consultation with industry experts, such as easyJet holidays, this project is uniquely placed to bring about meaningful impact in the sustainable tourism sector,” said Professor Alexander Betts, University of Oxford’s Local and Global Engagement Officer
Matt Callaghan, easyJet holidays’ Director of Customer & Operations, said: “We have big ambitions when it comes to making sustainable holidays mainstream and we’re committed to playing our part in supporting better tourism governance. So, as the SDG Impact Lab’s founding partner we’re delighted to be supporting the Lab’s work with the UNWTO, to develop a first of its kind environmental, social and governance framework for sustainable tourism.ADVERTISEMENTActionable data for real impactIn tourism, as in other sectors, the challenge often lies not in a lack of data, but rather in the absence of common and harmonized approaches to organizing data, especially given the complexity of numerous existing initiatives. This hinders the ability to benchmark performance across businesses and to communicate progress of the sector with policy makers. It can even undermine stakeholder confidence.
By applying internationally recognized statistical approaches, this project aims to establish a fundamental level of consensus and alignment in business disclosures, enabling more consistent reporting that is comparable:
Between businesses within the tourism sector,Between tourism businesses and those in other economic sectors, andBetween business level-data and public-level (national and subnational) data.Moreover, the ESG Framework will demonstrate the potential of supplementing business–level data with national and global tourism statistics, for more holistic and cost-effective ESG disclosures that make the most of available information.
Developed under the umbrella of the UNWTO Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST), applicable to countries and destinations worldwide to guide the production of reliable and comparable data of tourism’s economic, social and environmental aspects, the ESG Framework for Tourism businesses will bring the benefits of consensus and harmonization also to the private sector.

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Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority – Miami Beach is home to world-famous beaches and waters, serving as a destination that provides inspiration, motivation, relaxation and experiences that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the power of the area’s waters. From organized beach clean ups that give back and mindful yoga practices along the shoreline to activities including paddle boarding, kite surfing, jet skiing and fishing, the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority is working with local businesses to showcase the many ways summers visitors can Connect With the Waters this season. Those looking for water-centric vacation inspiration can follow @experiencemiambeach on Instagram to meet Miami Beach-based leaders and companies including Clean Miami Beach, Warrior Flow Yoga, Boucher Brothers, BouYah Watersports and more through the new campaign.
“The Connect With the Waters campaign spotlights the crown jewel of Miami Beach, our stunning waters, and takes a deeper dive into the teams dedicated to providing memorable experiences while working to preserve the natural surroundings for our community and visitors to enjoy,” says Christopher Rollins, Chair of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA). “We know travelers are looking for unique ways to Connect With the Waters of Miami Beach and we’re proud to feature a selection of options that allow for active or passive experiences to immerse in the beauty, calm and thrill of our waters.”
Connect With the Waters uncovers the varying ways those visiting for business or pleasure can experience the power of Miami Beach’s waters. The campaign features a variety of businesses with the content now live @experiencemiamibeach on Instagram featuring Clean Miami Beach, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness to the harm of single-use plastics and opportunities to make a hands-on impact while on Miami Beach, and Miami Beach-based Warrior Flow Yoga, a welcoming and inclusive practice that brings people together for yoga and fitness with Miami Beach as the backdrop. Rooted in reflection and empowerment, they provide mindful practices including personal, group and signature full moon flows. Upcoming videos will cater to thrill seekers who can Connect With the Waters through active options like jet skiing, parasailing, paddle boarding and kayaking with BouYah Watersports and those who prefer to relax and take in the sights and sounds of the water on from the comfort of a beach chaise will find solace with five-star, oceanfront service courtesy of Boucher Brothers.
“Miami Beach is home to small and family-run businesses that deliver memorable activities. We know seeing is believing and our new social campaign invites future travelers to learn more about the best ways to Connect With the Waters through dynamic content,” adds Grisette Marcos, Executive Director of the MBVCA. “As our social following continues to rapidly grow, we are focused on bringing fresh information and experiences to the forefront of our communication efforts through social platforms and enhancing our itineraries found in the new EXP Miami Beach Tours app that is now available for download.”
To view the current Connect With the Waters campaign videos, visit www.instagram.com/experiencemiamibeach and view the MB Waters highlights section on the main profile page. Download the new EXP Miami Beach Tours APP now available on Apple and Google.ADVERTISEMENT

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