The United Nations World Tourism Organisation states that one of the travel industry’s fastest-growing segments is sports tourism. 

According to Lisa Delpy Neirotti, director and professor of George Washington University’s Sport Management Programme, the industry is enormous and will only continue to expand.

“The sport tourism market will continue as long as new opportunities to play and compete exist,” she said. “The numbers are all over the place, so it is hard to get a good figure. The biggest takeaway is that it is huge and growing.”

According to Delpy Neirotti, “sport tourists spend money by eating at restaurants, staying in hotel rooms, filling up petrol tanks, shopping in local stores and visiting other tourism attractions.”

According to Delpy Neirotti, more professional teams are playing abroad, and their followers are keeping up with them. According to her, this can increase awareness of places via social media and word-of-mouth.

“The Padres played in Mexico City and had a huge fan base there — same for NFL in Germany or MLB in London,” she said. “It gives people or fans the reason to plan a trip and travel.”

These occasions present certain nations with a chance to improve their standing internationally.

“Saudi Arabia — like China, Qatar and many others — are using sport to introduce their country — to not only attendees but all those watching the broadcast or stream,” she Said.

Particularly Saudi Arabia is making significant investments in sports, namely in golf and football, luring well-known players like Dustin Johnson and Cristiano Ronaldo to the country.

Critics claim that Saudi Arabia is focusing more on sports in an effort to win over the world and improve its reputation; this tactic is known as “sportswashing,” and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman supported it in a September interview with Fox News. 

Increasing travel is one of the main objectives of sports tourism, particularly during shoulder or slow seasons, according to Delpy Neirotti.

September, the end of summer travel, is a traditional “shoulder season” month. However, during its yearly Formula One race weekend, Singapore witnessed a rise in hotel pricing to $590 Singapore dollars ($440), with the majority of hotels surpassing 90% occupancy rates, as per the hospitality and travel software company Adara – A Rate Gain Company.

“It’s noteworthy that some hotels are able to command even higher rates, reaching as high as SG$800,” said Jay Wardle, president of Adara.

Large-scale athletic tournaments that drew visitors from all around the world this year helped the economy of the host nations.

In India, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which took place from October 5 to November 19, was predicted by The Bank of Baroda Economics Research department to generate an economic boost of 180–220 billion Indian rupees, or roughly $2.1–$2.6 billion.

More than 3 million tickets were sold for the 19th Asian Games, which took place in China from September 23 to October 8, bringing in more than 610 million yuan ($85 million), according to Chinese media. According to the report, sponsorship income from 176 firms generated an additional $623 million, while sales revenue from licenced items brought in an additional $107 million.

In August, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that the revenue from the co-hosted Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this year exceeded $570 million.

This year’s MotoGP leg was held in Indonesia in October, and the Rugby World Cup was held in France from August to September. Both the Grand Slam tennis competitions and the international Formula One races, which included the Nov. 18–21 Las Vegas Grand Prix, garnered attention from all over the world.

According to Booking.com, nearly half (49%) of American baseball fans intend to travel to at least one Major League Baseball game this year, with 61% stating they would travel up to 500 miles to do so.

According to a press release, the company announced in March that it had joined Major League Baseball as an official online travel partner. As part of the agreement, travellers will be able to choose “ballpark-adjacent hotels” for their excursions. 

Plans to launch a network of sports-themed resorts in college towns across America were revealed by Travel + Leisure Co. and Sports Illustrated Resorts. The University of Alabama’s home town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will host the first one when it opens in late 2025.

Sports-themed reservations have surged 130% since 2019, according to the travel experience booking service GetYourGuide. Travellers from the U.K. (37%), the U.S. (20%), Germany (17%), and France (15%) make up the majority of these reservations.

According to the company, tours of Madison Square Garden in New York City, Fenway Park in Boston, and the McLaren Technology Centre in the United Kingdom are the most sought-after sports-related activities this year.

(Adapted from CNBC.com)