PortAventura World kicks off the 2019 season with significant new features, including the new Street Mission attraction , the new Colorado Creek themed hotel , and the expansion of the convention center . With these additions, the resort continues to broaden its family-friendly offerings.
New attraction for the whole family
This year, the season kicks off with the arrival of Street Mission, PortAventura World's first dark ride and the only one dedicated to Sesame Street in Europe. The new attraction is an interactive adventure for all ages in which visitors must help Detective Cocosolve a secret mission. The attraction consists of a pre-show and a 3D experiential ride featuring numerous animatronics and impressive immersive experiences thanks to 3D video mapping technology.
With an investment of 15 million euros, the project has been created in collaboration with Sesame Workshop®,the non-profit organization that manages the iconic Sesame Street® brand,and Sally Corporation, one of the leading international companies in the development of dark rides and the design of animatronics.
The arrival of the new attraction strengthens the partnership between PortAventura World and Sesame Workshop®.“The agreement with Sesame Street®,which has been extended until 2031, has helped create an attraction that will be a fantastic interactive 3D family entertainment experience,” says Fernando Aldecoa, CEO of PortAventura World. “SesameAventura is an incredible area that provides memorable experiences for the whole family. With the addition of Street Mission, the only dark ride in Europe inspired by the iconic children’s series, PortAventura World is further solidifying its position as a leading family tourist destination in Europe,” he adds.
Expansion of the hotel facilities
PortAventura World will open its new 4-star superior themed hotel, the Colorado Creek , on June 1, 2019. This will be the resort's sixth hotel. It features 150 rooms, each 41 square meters, distributed across three buildings. An additional building will house the restaurant and exclusive parking. The hotel's theme is inspired by the Gold Rush era of the Wild West and continues the historical legacy of the hotel complex, which includes the Hotel Gold River, the Hotel Callaghan, and the Hotel Mansión de Lucy.
This new establishment represents an investment of 25 million euros and will strengthen PortAventura World's hotel offering, bringing the total to over 2,200 rooms. In the 2018 season, the resort's hotels recorded more than 1 million overnight stays.
The Colorado Creek Hotel will be the resort's first zero-emissions hotel. This is a strategic initiative driven by PortAventura World that will be extended to other establishments within the resort to minimize their environmental footprint.
Growth in meetings and incentive tourism
Since the Convention Centre opened in 2009, PortAventura Business & Events has experienced constant growth, a fact that culminated in 2018, with 204 events held.
Of the total, 62% of the events organized were corporate, while the remaining 38% encompassed other types such as conferences, incentive trips, sporting events, and charity events. Companies such as Coca-Cola, MARS Iberia, Seat, and La Caixa, among others, entrusted PortAventura World with hosting their events.
In 2019, the convention center underwent a significant expansion of its infrastructure by more than 6,000 m2,going from 14,000m2 to 20,000m2 with the aim of strengthening its capacity to host simultaneous and larger-format events.
Similarly, PortAventura World is undertaking a major renovation of the Hotel PortAventura , which will be completed by the end of May and represents an investment of €12 million. The remodeling, which enhances the hotel's Mediterranean ambiance, includes a complete refurbishment of all guest rooms, the main common areas such as the buffet restaurant, and the façade.
Committed to the future
All the projects and new initiatives launched in 2019 are carried out within the framework of the company's ESG policy, leading a holiday leisure concept that places sustainability at the heart of its strategy. PortAventura World was one of the first companies to sign the World Tourism Organization's Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and in 2017 joined the International Year of Sustainable Tourism. Currently, it is developing initiatives for 13 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 2018 season
In 2018, PortAventura World reached a record 5 million visitors, bringing the resort's total to 85 million visits since its opening. Halloween and Christmas, two of the most anticipated periods of the year, saw a significant increase in visitors, with a 17% rise for Halloween and a 10% increase for Christmas, compared to the same period in 2017.
The international market accounts for 36% of park visitors and 54% of hotel stays at the resort. Last year, PortAventura World received 1 million visits from the French market.
The strategic plan for investment and innovation in new projects, which has a budget of 90 million euros for 2019, reinforces PortAventura World's position as the best family leisure destination in Europe.
