Ferrari theme park to open near Barcelona

Project to be hosted inside popular PortAventura resort

(ANSA) - Maranello, March 13 - Italian luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari on Thursday signed a licencing agreement to build a new own-brand theme park in the PortAventura resort near Barcelona in Spain. Ferrari Land - the second Ferrari theme park after Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi - will be created in conjunction with PortAventura Entertainment S.A.U., a subsidiary of Investindustrial group, which owns the Spanish resort. It is to cover 75,000 sqm and will include a variety of attractions for Prancing Horse enthusiasts, including Europe's highest and fastest vertical accelerator.

The theme park will also contain the first Ferrari-themed hotel with 250 rooms, restaurants and a driving simulator. It will involve an overall investment of 100 million euros and is due to officially open in 2016. PortAventura already welcomes 4 million visitors a year, of whom 50% come from outside Spain.