Barcelona Olympic facilities to host a 66.000 m2 sports theme park in 2015

Barcelona (ACN).- In 2015, Barcelona Olympic Ring will become the home of Open Camp Sportainment, the first theme park in the world entirely dedicated to sports. According to Open Camp S.L., the company responsible for the project, the 66.000 m² theme park will offer a "unique" show involving technology, family and sports. The new attraction will occupy the current Olympic Stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi sports hall, the Olympic and Sports Museum Juan Antonio Samaranch, the Bernat Picornell swimming pool, the telecommunications tower designed by Santiago Calatrava and the INEFC sports faculty, which will only be accessed during the summer break when there are no classes. All these facilities will combine their regular activities with those of the theme park, which will be open from April to October, some 250 days per year. The regular entry will cost €28; one of the "cheapest" prices for a theme park in Europe said Barcelona Deputy Mayor for Economy, Enterprise and Employment, Sònia Recasens. The project expects 7,000 visitors per day and an annual economic impact for Barcelona of 52.8 million euros. It will also generate approximately 240 jobs, contributing for the local employment rates.

In 2012, Open Camp S.L. started promoting the Open Camp Sportainment; a business, scientific and technological initiative aimed to offer to millions of fans worldwide entertainment experiences related to sports, localised in specialised settings such as parks, stadiums, hotels and restaurants.

After analysing different alternatives across Europe, Open Camp S.L. considered Barcelona to be one of the "best" destinations to base the first theme park in the world exclusively dedicated to sports. According to the project's General Director, Francesc Medina, the infrastructure of the Barcelona Olympic Ring is "perfectly preserved" comparing to other Olympic infrastructures around the world. Yet, an investment of over 20 million euros will be made in order to rehabilitate and modernise the Ring for the future usage.

Open Camp Sportainment is expected to open in 2015 in the Olympic Ring, on top of Montjuïc hill. The public will be able to visit the Olympic Stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi sports hall, the Communications Tower designed by the Spanish architect and structural engineer Santiago Calatrava, the Bernal Picornell swimming pool and the space beyond all these facilities. The park will be opened from April to October and, during summer time, visitors will be also able to access the installations of the National Institute of Physical Education (INEFC).

According to Francesc Medina, "the main approach is to create a new category from sports tourism and entertainment and from trends that underlie the project, such as the viewer being the only protagonist." Open Camp Sportainment aims to become a benchmark for innovation related to sport, allying it with technology. An example is the exclusive mobile application that will guide the visitor throughout the entire visit.

The park will include different areas such as, the Open Museum which will offer interactive sporting experiences and, the Open Play, where visitors will be able to experience the collective side of sports and the media coverage of many different sporting events. Francesc Medina emphasised that these areas "comprise" a proposal of "sports culture" with activities and attractions associated with elements such as the system of media coverage.

The project expects 7,000 visitors per day and an economic impact for the city of 52.8 million euros per year. It will create approximately 240 jobs, contributing for the local employment rates. The regular ticket will cost 28 euros; one of the cheapest prices in Europe for theme parks, said Barcelona Deputy Mayor for Economy, Enterprise and Employment of the City Council, Sònia Recasens. However, a range of different tickets will be available.

Medina noted that so far 24 agreements have been already formalised with associated partners such as Microsoft Innovation, the Science and Technology Park of Catalonia, Barcelona Advance Innovation, the Olympic and Sports Museum Juan Antonio Samaranch, Tui Travel, MIC Sports Services, Allianz and Randstad, among others.