Dubai Parks and Resorts teams with Orlando University to train Emirati students in theme park management
by Tom Anstey | 15 Sep 2015
Dubai Parks and Resorts – the developer behind the AED10bn (US$2.7bn, €2.4bn, £1.8bn) theme park mega resort under construction in the UAE – is planning to send a group of Emirati graduates to Orlando, Florida, to learn more about the theme park industry.
The developer will recruit more than 1,000 locals over the course of the next year, with the educational initiative – known as the Helmi Programme – offering 10 graduates aged 25 and under a six-month course in Theme Park Management at the University of Orlando.
In addition to obtaining a globally-recognised degree, students will gain a hands-on appreciation of the industry, taking work placements at several major theme parks in the Orlando area including Legoland Florida, the sister site of the under-development Legoland Dubai as part of the Dubai Parks and Resorts project. 40 more Emirati students will take the same course when a visiting faculty travels to Dubai.
Dubai Parks and resorts pledged to hire more than 1,000 Emirati employees as part of wider efforts across the country to give top jobs to the UAE’s homegrown talent. The course will teach the trainees to manage a theme park, ahead of the 2016 opening of Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Legoland Dubai.
A recent report from PwC suggested that the UAE is set to become a serious theme park competitor in the coming years, with revenues forecast to shoot up 78 per cent by 2019, and for the region to be competing with the Orlando market by 2021.
Student will gain experience at Legoland Florida, the sister site of the under-development Legoland Dubai Credit: Legoland Florida
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Dubai Parks and Resorts – the developer behind the AED10bn (US$2.7bn, €2.4bn, £1.8bn) theme park mega resort under construction in the UAE – is planning to send a group of Emirati graduates to Orlando, Florida, to learn more about the theme park industry. The developer will recruit more than 1,000 locals over the course of the next year, with the educational initiative – known as the Helmi Programme – offering
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by Megan Whitby | 19 Jan 2024
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Luxury spa hotel Calcot Manor, located in England's Cotswolds, is launching a purpose-built fitness and wellness sanctuary. Opening in February, The Grain Store will have indoor and outdoor gyms, a spin shed, holistic studio, exercise studio and café with a terrace giving sweeping views over the countryside. The gym will have a functional space, cardio zone, free weights, resistance and a place to fight postural issues: the Proverb assisted stretch
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by Liz Terry | 11 Jan 2024
Huafa Snow World, a 131-hectare sport and entertainment destination in Shenzhen, China, designed by architecture firm, 10 Design is slated to open in 2025. The development is anchored by a 80,000sq m indoor ski resort, currently expected to be the largest of its kind in the world when it opens. Huafa Snow World will have a balance of retail, entertainment, commercial, hospitality, civic and cultural elements with the aim of
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
by Megan Whitby | 05 Jan 2024
Rural Scottish retreat Murrayshall Country Estate has received the green light for its £30 million (US$38 million, €34.8 million) masterplan. The proposal includes plans for an extension to the 40-key four-star hotel in Scone, Perthshire, as well as the addition of a new spa and leisure facility with treatment rooms, a spa pool, spa cafe, gym and studio, a leisure pool and outdoor spa terrace. Proposed updates also include a
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
by Kath Hudson | 04 Jan 2024
Janu, the new hotel brand from luxury operator Aman, is gearing up to launch its first location this March in Tokyo. The property will feature one of the city's largest gyms. Part of a 4,000sq m state-of-the-art wellness centre, the 340sq m gym will feature five group exercise studios for spinning, aerial yoga, golf simulation, functional training, Pilates and high-impact circuit training, as well as the first boxing ring in
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
by Megan Whitby | 03 Jan 2024
Global wellbeing organisation Therme Group has announced the location of its first Asia Pacific project. The upcoming resort will open in South Korea’s Incheon City as part of its Golden Harbor development. A memorandum of agreement was signed on 20 December by Therme’s senior vice president Stelian Iacob and Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) commissioner Kim Jinyong. The identification of the Golden Harbor site follows an initial letter of cooperation
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
by Kath Hudson | 29 Dec 2023
Universal Studios is assessing the feasibility of opening its first European resort in the UK, following the purchase of a former brickworks in Bedfordshire. The theme park operator has confirmed it’s in the “very early stages of exploring the possibility of a potential park and resort experience in Bedford.” Parent company, Comcast Corporation has purchased the 480-acre site, which previously had planning permission for 1,000 homes. Universal Destinations and Experiences
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by Megan Whitby | 20 Dec 2023
The King of Bhutan has announced plans for a new economic hub immersed in nature and designed by architecture firms Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Arup, and Cistri. Referred to as the Mindfulness City, the masterplan for the future Gelephu Special Administration Region (SAR) is informed by Bhutanese culture and its strong spiritual heritage, as well as the country's Gross National Happiness (GNH)* index. The goal is for the SAR to
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
by Kath Hudson | 19 Dec 2023
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Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
by Kath Hudson | 18 Dec 2023
KSL-owned Third Space has unveiled its latest club in Wimbledon, south-west London. The development marks the first of many forays into residential locations for the operator, following the recent securing of a loan facility of £88.5m. This is the ninth club from the premium fitness operator which has four further openings slated for residential areas of London in the next two years: Battersea, Clapham Junction and Wood Wharf in 2024
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