Piero Ferrari opens Ferrari Land at official inauguration ceremony
Piero Ferrari officially opened Ferrari Land today at an inauguration attended by international press, special guests and friends of the motor racing brand.
The €100m (US$106m, £85m) theme park is a second gate for PortAventura, part of the Spanish destination resort's €400m (US$426m, £342m) expansion strategy, which hopes to help boost annual visitor attendance to the 5 million mark.
"Ferrari Land is a place where everyone can come, not just Ferrari fans and enthusiasts, but the whole family can come and learn about the story of the Prancing Horse and have fun," said Ferrari, who is the son of the brand's eponymous founder, Enzo.
"I'm happy visitors will get the Ferrari experience, and that means speed, innovation and above all, emotion," he said. "It's our main objective to let people know that everything we do, we do with passion."
Ferrari Land boasts Europe's tallest and fastest rollercoaster. Named Red Force, the vertical launch coaster reaches 112 metres (367ft) into the sky accelerating from 0mph to 112mph (180kph) in just 5 seconds.
The Ferrari-branded park is PortAventura's third theme park at its location near Barcelona, Spain. It currently attracts 55 per cent international tourists, many from France and the UK, and it's hoped Ferrari Land will help draw more visitors from elsewhere in Europe, like Italy, Belgium and Holland, as well as non-European markets.
"We want Ferrari Land to capture the true spirit of Ferrari and the lifestyle that Enzo Ferrari created," said Fernando Aldecoa, PortAventura's CEO. "We worked with 50 global companies to build this park in just over two years. It's a unique park that will amaze and stun families as well as lovers of motorsports."
Ten other attractions occupy the 70,000sq m (750,000sq ft) zone, including twin drop towers and the 500-metre (1,640ft) Maranello Grand Race, which simulates the experience of racing a Ferrari 488 Spyder.
Inside the Ferrari Experience, shaped like the iconic race car and in the same trademark red that characterises the brand, is the Flying Dreams immersive theatre, and Racing Legends, a simulator experience in which guests must navigate the streets of Rome, or the world's most famous circuits.
There are also interactive experiences that explain the history and spirit of the brand.
Following the Italian theme, there is a traditional trattoria and ice cream parlour, as well as a pit stop-themed fast food restaurant and Ferrari retail store. The park will offer daily shows and street entertainment.
ferrari land ferrari portaventura barcelona spain theme park roller coasterFerrari Land entering testing phase ahead of April launch
PortAventura's Ferrari Land sets official opening date
Ferrari Land hits halfway point as Portaventura gears up for 2017 opening
Ferrari Land: New details revealed for upcoming park and 112mph vertical coaster
PortAventura breaks ground on Europe's first Ferrari Land
PortAventura adds luxury option to accommodation offering
Cirque du Soleil and PortAventura foresee lasting relationship
PortAventura expands water park with Europe's highest free fall slide
FEATURE: Theme Parks – Kooza Came to Town
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Creating the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York involved meticulous planning. Its director Alice Greenwald tells us more
From flooding old shopping malls to revolutionising housing, MVRDV’s founders like to do things differently