Business of Sport Red Sea Global builds on adventure sports tourism By Pramod Kumar May 2, 2023, 6:04 AM Unsplash.com Akun has signed deals with operators Bungy New Zealand and Air Sports Group, who will assess the capacity for adventure tourism Red Sea Global (RSG), the Red Sea and Amaala mega-project developer, has launched a new company to boost sports tourism in Saudi Arabia. Akun, meaning “to be”, is a new adventure sports company that will operate and manage adventure and sports experiences at RSG destinations, including gravel- mountain-, fat-tyre and electric biking, trail running and hiking through diverse natural trails. The new company will be closely connected to the local communities in each destination and work to develop conservation and cultural trails. Akun’s launch comes after the developer’s conversion into Red Sea Global holding company last year to establish a series of RSG-owned subsidiaries to support the evolution of its developments. “Wama and Galaxea were the first two subsidiary businesses to be announced in February,” said John Pagano, group CEO of Red Sea Global. “Combined with Wama and Galaxea, our water sports and diving brands, we can now offer a full trio package of sporting experiences ahead of our first guests arriving at the Red Sea this year,” he added. Wama is responsible for offering water sports adventures, from stand-up paddleboarding through mangrove forests, to sailing the Red Sea’s soft swells. In contrast, Galaxea will offer water diving experiences. Akun has already signed two initial partnership deals with operators Bungy New Zealand and Air Sports Group, who will assess the capacity for adventure tourism at RSG destinations. Air Sports Group will carry out a 13-week on-site technical assessment to confirm the air sports potential at both Amaala and the Red Sea, with sports including skydiving, paragliding, paramotoring and hot air ballooning. Bungy New Zealand will focus on developing the overall adventure tourism plan and concept designs for individual guest experiences. “Through such partnerships, we are confident that we can successfully unlock the potential of our land, sea and skies,” said Rosanna Chopra, executive director-destination development at RSG.
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