Lionel Messi travel tips

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Hard Rock International's new loyalty program has a star-studded kickoff to its global rollout.

Sports tourism has long been a passion pursuit among affluent globetrotters. And no sport holds more global appeal than soccer.

Football icon and Al-Nassr player Cristiano Ronaldo is currently staying at – and promoting – The Red Sea. The coastal destination is a flagship project of Saudi Arabia’s tourism dream, expected to house 50 luxury hotels by the end of the decade.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, March 12. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

In Saudi Arabia’s latest tourism campaign, Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi aims to bust the stereotypes global travelers may have about the kingdom. The campaign emphasizes that Saudi Arabia has a lot to offer and is a welcoming destination, said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Saudi Arabia has launched a global brand campaign for its cultural tourism site AlUla, home to ancient ruins and a growing list of luxury hotels. The “Forever Revitalising” campaign has been produced in six languages with events in Dubai, London, New York, Paris, Shanghai, and Mumbai.

Question: Between watching the last World Cup and FIFA's recent destination announcement, I really want to attend a tournament. How do I go about getting tickets to the World Cup in 2026?

Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, is helping Royal Caribbean compete for tourism dollars with Las Vegas, Orlando and other destinations for multigenerational family vacations, said Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty.

Lionel Messi is back promoting Saudi Arabia in a campaign that says it wants to dismantle “walls” of “misconception” and break “outdated stereotypes.”

Just a week before Royal Caribbean International's 55th anniversary,Lionel Messi has officially christened its newest ship, Icon of the Seas, at a star-studded naming celebration in Miami.

On Tuesday, in a ceremony that, of course, involved a soccer ball, the Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi pressed a button and a bottle of champagne smashed against the bow of Icon of the Seas, christening the world’s largest cruise ship at its home port of Miami. Like an A-list celebrity stepping onto the red carpet, the arrival of Royal Caribbean’s 250,800-ton ship has captured the world’s attention, with some marveling over its cutting-edge features, like the largest water park at sea, while others criticize the gigantic ship’s potential to damage the environment.

The United Arab Emirates go into the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ aiming to build on their back-to-back semi-final finishes. And just as was the case in 2015 and 2019, Ali Mabkhout will carry the hopes of his nation. Not many players in Asian football have as many records to their name across club and country, domestic and continental football as 33-year-old Mabkhout, and he travels to Qatar hopeful of breaking one of the most important records of them all.

Royal Caribbean International has announced that world football superstar Lionel Messi will serve as the official Icon of its Icon of the Seas cruise ship debuting in January 2024.

Will Smith is the latest celebrity to promote Saudi Arabia. Smith posted a video on Instagram Wednesday morning showing his recent visit to Neom, a $500 billion project Saudi Arabia is building and hoping to open by next year.

Here we go again...the best of the art world (not to mention the fashion world, culinary world, luxury brands, celebrities, and partygoers) descend on Miami for Miami Art Week, which includes a week long schedule of incredible art exhibits, parties, and events that are sprinkled around the Magic City. A lot has happened here since last year’s Art Week. Miami has welcomed more new high-profile residents to its shores - including Jeff Bezos, Shakira, and Lionel Messi. The level of cuisine has grown exponentially, as Miami now has 11 Michelin-rated restaurants with more on the way. As a native Miamian, I am blown away by the level of culture and sophistication Miami has achieved. Miami’s economy is still booming, with people flocking to the city both to live and to visit - and the attraction of Miami will be on full display during Art Week.

Primo Entertainment and Moment Factory announce the first-of-its-kind interactive multimedia experience — “The Messi Experience: A Dream Come True”. In April 2024, the Messi Experience will kick off its world tour in Miami as the city’s newest must-visit attraction. The interactive journey will take visitors through experiential activities from living-legend Leo Messi’s childhood to now. Messi’s arrival to Miami came with much fanfare when it was formally announced. The Messi Mania we all know is dominating the game in the U.S. to the delight of fans across the country. Visitors can pre-register until Tuesday, October 24th for the Wednesday, October 25th limited-release ticket drop. On October 26th, tickets will go on sale to the general public at www.themessiexperience.com.

LeBron James is in Saudi Arabia. First came the shaky videos on Twitter, then a government-approved video at The Saudi Basketball Federation, and now, he has been photographed admiring one of the kingdom’s many tourism projects: Diriyah Gate.

Football legend Lionel Messi has ditched his Paris Saint-Germain kit for Louis Vuitton as he stars in his first solo campaign for the fashion house’s ‘Horizon’s Never End’ campaign.

Posted five weeks ago, this Instagram post from renowned footballer Lionel Messi on Saudi Arabia, marked as a paid partnership with Visit Saudi, has garnered around 17 million likes and more than 78,000 comments.

Summer officially started this week, but the news takes no vacation. This week Executive Editor Dennis Schaal looked at three giants of online travel – Booking, Google, and Tripadvisor – and how they’re using marketing dollars and collaboration to get ahead. Meanwhile our Research team’s recent report on Hopper continues to reveal insights about the app’s rapid rise and evolving business model.