Pack your jerseys. The era of ‘sports tourism’ is here

Start your engines. From Formula One races to the Summer Olympic Games, traveling to attend major sporting events is on the rise.

Sports tourism, because it’s called, is considered one of the fastest-growing sectors within the travel industry, based on the United Nations World Tourism Organization.  

The market is very large, and only stands to grow, said Lisa Delpy Neirotti, professor and director at George Washington University’s Sport Management Program.

“The game tourism market will proceed so long as latest opportunities to play and compete exist,” she said. “The numbers are everywhere, so it is tough to get a superb figure. The most important takeaway is that it is large and growing.”

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

More skilled teams are playing in international locations, and their fans are following them, said Delpy Neirotti. This could bring attention to destinations through social media and word of mouth, she said.

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

For some countries, these events are a possibility to boost their international standing.

“Saudi Arabia — like China, Qatar and lots of others — are using sport to introduce their country — to not only attendees but all those watching the published or stream,” she told CNBC Travel.

Saudi Arabia, specifically, is investing heavily in sports, most notably in soccer and golf, recruiting high-profile athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Dustin Johnson to the dominion. 

Critics argue that Saudi Arabia is doubling down on sports to curry global favor and rehabilitate its global image — a practice dubbed “sportswashing” which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embraced during an interview with Fox News in September.  

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, held from Oct. 5 to Nov. 19, was expected so as to add between 180 to 220 billion Indian rupees (around $2.1 to $2.6 billion) to India’s economy, based on an evaluation by The Bank of Baroda Economics Research department.

The nineteenth Asian Games held in China from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 sold greater than 3 million tickets, which generated greater than 610 million yuan ($85 million) in revenue, based on Chinese media. Sales revenue of licensed merchandise brought in one other $107 million, and sponsorship income from 176 corporations yielded an extra $623 million, it said.

Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in August that this yr’s Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and Latest Zealand, brought in greater than $570 million in revenue.

Indonesia hosted a leg of this yr’s MotoGP in October, while France organized the Rugby World Cup from August to September. Tennis’ Grand Slam tournaments attracted worldwide attention, as did the worldwide Formula One races — including the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, which concluded on Nov. 18.

In March, the corporate announced it had turn into the official online travel partner of Major League Baseball — a deal which might help travelers find “ballpark-adjacent hotels” for such trips, based on a press release.  

Travel + Leisure Co. and Sports Illustrated Resorts announced plans to open a network of sports-themed resorts in American college towns. The primary one is scheduled to open in Tuscaloosa, Alabama — home to the University of Alabama — in late 2025.

The travel experience booking website GetYourGuide said sports-themed bookings have increased 130% since 2019, with most booking coming from travelers within the U.K. (37%), the U.S. (20%), Germany (17%) and France (15%).

The most well-liked sports-related experiences this yr include tours of the U.K.’s McLaren Technology Centre, Boston’s Fenway Park and Latest York City’s Madison Square Garden, based on the corporate.

Luxury travel company AMPM charges yearly fees of $8,000 for a “standard membership” and $30,000 for a service-intensive “elite membership.”

For the worth, the corporate can secure members access to marquee events like Latest York’s Fashion Week and the U.S. Open, an organization representative told CNBC Travel.  

“Other sports experiences we now have arranged for our members include F1 track experiences — including exclusive members-only paddocks access — NBA court-side tickets, locker room access,” said company co-founder Laurent Baud.

The corporate can even arrange helicopter rides and post-game field access to major sports events, she said.

One other company, GR8, also organizes once-in-a-lifetime luxury experiences for travelers. It’s already fielding requests for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, including seats for the opening ceremony, access to the Olympic Village and meet-and-greet sessions with athletes and coaches, an organization representative told CNBC Travel.

The corporate organizes special access to the Kentucky Derby, Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the Super Bowl, based on its website.

However it recently set its sights on one other market.

“GR8 has been receiving many requests to bring sporting events to Asia with a few of an important institutions and firms over there,” said Barnabas Carrega, GR8’s CEO and co-founder, adding that those include inquiries to carry NBA All-Star games within the continent.