Feature: SPORTS TOURISM

22 Aug 2018

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For the love of the game

SPORTS tourism, once
referred to as ‘the
sleeping giant of
tourism’, has become the
fastest growing sector in global
tourism, generating around
US$800 billion (R10,77trn) in
2017 worldwide.
The growing interest in sport,
the emergence of disciplines
such as mountain biking
and running, investment in
improved sporting facilities,
the increasing number
of sporting events, and
the rise of the health and
fitness trend, are all reasons
provided for the massive
growth of the sector. South
Africans are sports lovers,
so if international trends are
anything to go by, they should
be avid sports tourists too.
According to Carlos Luis,
Flight Centre Travel Group
brand leader, Air, Land and
Sea Product, the interest
around sports travel is
definitely on the rise. Sports
tourism is a broad term
covering five different reasons
for travel, according to
UNWTO.
They are: actively
participating in a sport or
sporting event, individually
or as part of a team; selfdevelopment
or enhanced
training for sport as an
individual or team; watching
sport as a spectator or
supporter; visiting sites and
places associated with the
history, heritage or culture of
a sport or a sporting legend;
and improving health and
well-being through a sporting
activity.
“There are a great number
of schools and sporting clubs
that participate in sporting
events. This number is far
greater than individuals
looking to attend an event as
a spectator. You
might have a
handful of people
travelling to
Wimbledon, for
example, but a
number of school
teams travelling
to participate in
an event,” says
Carlos.
Nicky Bell,
ceo of Edusport
Travel and Tours,
which sells
sport-inclusive
packages to
supporters only, says the
spectator segment of the
sports tourism market is
growing in SA. “People are
becoming more aware of
sports travel packages and
love the idea of travelling to
watch their hero participate in
an event.” Nicky says motor
sports and football hold the
most sales potential, with the
English Premier League, Moto
GP and Grands Prix by far the
most popular sporting events
with SA travellers.
“Sport will always be an
ingredient for South Africans,
even if it is
just the resort
facilities. South
Africans like to
know they can
water-ski or
wakeboard all
day free – which
they can with
Beachcomber
– or pedalo,
stand-up paddle,
windsurf, kayak
and play tennis,”
says Joanne
Visagie, sales
and marketing
director, Beachcomber Tours,
which promotes beach resorts
in Mauritius.
Mandy Lerena, commercial
manager for Virgin Atlantic
in SA, says the airline has
certainly seen an increase
in passenger numbers and
groups travelling either as
spectators or participants.
The airline’s dedicated groups
team is able to assist with
bookings of this nature. “We
offer a dedicated group sales
team, global connections and
discounted fares, among other
benefits.”

Sports tourism by numbers

According to the UN
Economic Commission
for Africa, sports tourists
spend more than their
non-sporting counterparts.
Here are some of their
interesting findings:
An estimated 900 000
tourists attend the
English Premier League
football games every
year.
These tourists spend
around £785 (R13 777)
each, compared with the
£583 (R10 234) spent
by those engaged in
other activities.
Golf tourism is worth
around US$100 billion
(R1,35trn) per year.
Golf tourists spend an
estimated 20% more
than other travellers.
Around 10% of the 60
million golfers worldwide
travel overseas for
holidays.

Selling sports travel no slam dunk

WHILE the global
numbers show
that travelling for
sport, whether
to participate or
simply spectate,
is on the rise,
it doesn’t
necessarily
translate into
better earning
potential for
travel agents.
Flight Centre
Travel Group’s
Carlos Luis
believes sports
packages are
not lucrative for travel agents.
“Commission levels are
often only around the 5%-7%
mark with a number of noncommissionable
items not
offering an incentive for the
sale.” Another challenge, he
says, is the complexity around
which the operator has rights
to which sporting events.
This makes it confusing
to ascertain who to go to in
order to book the packages.
Carlos adds:
“The nature
of the events
also results
in sporadic
sporting package
advertising in
the market and
sports getaways
are often not top
of mind.”
Nicky Bell,
ceo of Edusport
Travel and
Tours, says it
is important
to work with
credible
suppliers. “The biggest
challenge is operators claiming
to have rights to tickets when
they actually don’t. This is the
most critical aspect of selling
a package including tickets,”
she adds.
Because of how many
parties are involved in the
process of booking a sporting
event package (i.e. a travel
agent, a local tour operator,
the international destination
management company and the
event organisations) Carlos
says there can also be delayed
quotes as well as “further
delays if something goes
wrong and all a travel agent
would like to do is resolve
even the smallest issue”.
Extra time
Carla da Silva, Air Mauritius
regional general manager:
Africa and Latin America,
says sports tours for both
spectators and participants
are a good opportunity for
travel consultants to upsell
the package, extending the
visit or adding activities for the
traveller to experience more
of what a destination has to
offer.
“Typically, a sporting event
is attended by athletes and
their families and friends. We
find that friends and family will
stay longer and enjoy a holiday
in Mauritius. The destination
lends itself to be explored and
offers much-needed relaxation
time after a sporting event,”
says Carla.
Nicky says she always
encourages corporate agents
to know what their clients
enjoy. “If there is a sporting
event taking place that
they can add to their
business trip, why not?”
When you think of cruising,
you usually think of soaking
up the sun, all-you-can-eat
buffets and live shows – not
an obvious link to sport. But
Seymour Brugger, product
manager: luxury portfolio at
Cruises International, points
out that certain cruises
are ideally suited to sports
tourists. “Many of the cruise
ships have specific itineraries
that stop overnight in the
specific city [hosting an event],
for instance Monte Carlo for
the F1 Grand Prix. [In these
situations] the clients do not

have to pack, go to a hotel
and then re-pack – their room
is waiting for them back on
board,” he says. Depending
on what options the traveller
chooses, Seymour adds that
they could even benefit from
extras such as transfers to
the sports events, VIP tickets
and more. “Everything is taken
care of by the cruise ship.”
He says, if the most suitable
cruise ship is selected,
cruising can be a “fantastic
option” for groups. “Should
they select a Royal Caribbean
ship, they would have a
range of bars, restaurants
and sporting facilities on
board. The group would
have endless facilities and
activities to choose from.”
Another example he provides
is golf groups travelling on
Crystal Cruises. “On selected
sailings they would have a
PGA instructor on board to
assist with technique and their
swing, plus the clients could
sign up to the golf programme
and receive various amenities
on board,” adds Seymour.
No plain sailing
However, Carlos says upselling
is not usually that easy.
“The tickets to the sporting
events are generally packaged
and sold with flights and
accommodation that have
been pre-booked, making it
hard to make changes to
standard itineraries that are
on offer. Generally, only 10%
of the group bookings are
allowed to break away from
the group. If an agent is lucky
enough to arrange the partial
breakaways, then they will be
able to add additional travel
arrangements that could be
more lucrative to sell,” he explains.

Get into the swing of things

Air Mauritius offers free
carriage of one golf bag per
person as well as a twopiece
luggage allowance
in economy and business
class, which includes
the carriage of sporting
equipment, provided
that measurements are adhered to.

Mauritius – the ideal sporting destination

WHEN it comes to sports
travel, most destinations
are chosen because of their
association with a particular
sport or major event. While
South African sports lovers
flock to traditional destinations
such as the UK for football
matches and Wimbledon or
Monaco for the Grand Prix, the
list of sports hubs is growing.
1. Mauritius
“Mauritius is becoming an
increasingly popular sporting
destination. We have seen
good growth in this sector with
various sporting tournaments
taking place on the island,”
says Air Mauritius’s
Carla da Silva. These, she
adds, are mostly linked to golf,
cycling, kite surfing, rugby and
triathlons.
Joanne Visagie of
Beachcomber Tours highlights
some of the most popular
formal sports events hosted
in Mauritius. This year, the
Paradis Golf Challenge
included more than 100 South
Africans, many of whom were
women and children. It has
become so popular that to
accommodate numbers, a
second one is being held in
August/September.
For those seeking a shot
of adrenaline, there’s the
Mauritius Tour Beachcomber
(held in May this year). It
includes four MTB races
and a dedicated kids’ race.
This year also saw the third
Beachcomber World Club 10s,
which makes it possible to
combine exciting rugby at
professional and amateur
levels with a beach holiday.
There’s also the Ultra Trail
Raidlight Beachcomber, which
allows trail runners to discover
the wild side of Mauritius. It
took place in July this year.
Joanne says there are
numerous reasons for
Mauritius to be the ideal

sporting destination for SA travellers,
including the multitude of events
on offer, the short flight, no visas
required, entertainment and affordable
babysitting, safe swimming in the calm
ocean sheltered by the coral reef and
water sports, to name a few.
2. Singapore
Considered by many as a stopover
destination, Singapore is becoming
increasingly popular with F1 Grand
Prix followers. It is even included as a
stop on the Royal Caribbean itinerary.
Other major sporting events include
the HSBC Women’s Championship
and the Women’s Tennis Association
Championships Singapore.
3. The UK and Ireland
Seymour Brugger at Cruises
International, says the British Isles is
a top region for avid golfers who are
keen to experience some of the oldest,
most beautiful courses in the world.
There are various cruises on offer, most
departing from the UK’s southern ports
and visiting Ireland and Scotland.
4. London/Southampton
Many South Africans support teams
in the English Premier League, making
England a regular destination for sports
travellers. But for something different,
why not suggest a cruise with a stop in
Southampton, where passengers can
disembark and enjoy a game at the St
Mary’s Stadium. Wimbledon is another
reason to visit London during SA’s
winter months.
5. Cape Town
Cape Town competes with top
international destinations, hosting
events that attract thousands of locals
each year. More than 30 000 South
Africans compete in the Cape Town
Cycle Tour, while the Two Oceans Ultra
Marathon is a must on long-distance
runners’ calendars.
6. Boston
On the bucket list of many travellers,
whether they’re into baseball or not,
is a visit to the home grounds of the
Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park. A trip
to the East Coast just wouldn’t be the
same without it.
7. Barcelona
The Spanish La Liga is also followed
by many South African football fanatics
who would love the opportunity to
watch a live match at the largest
stadium in Europe, Camp Now, which is
home to Barcelona’s soccer team. Also
in Spain, Valencia is giving Barcelona
a good run for its money as a sports
hotspot.
8. Bali
Where in the world do you go for prime
surfing conditions? There’s Bondi
Beach in Australia, Kauai in Hawaii,
Jeffreys Bay in South Africa and then
there’s Bali. An affordable option for SA
travellers, the beaches are frequented
by surfers from around the world.
9. St Moritz
For an adrenaline-fuelled holiday in the
snow, send your clients to St Moritz.
There’s the toboggan Cresta Run, which
hits top speeds of up to 140 km/h, as
well as polo on snow.
10. Réunion
Closer to home, Réunion has everything
an adventure traveller could ask for.
There’s white-water rafting, paragliding,
hang-gliding, skydiving, mountain biking,
hiking, quad biking and water sports,
all with some of the most breath-taking
scenery as a backdrop. Réunion is also
one of the world’s top-rated big-game
fishing venues.

From beacch to burning tyres

Air Mauritius is currently offering a
Grand Prix Fare to Singapore from
Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban,
via Mauritius.
The economy-class fare starts from
R7 950 and business class from
R21 650. A free stopover is provided
in Mauritius on all non-connecting
flights. Departure dates must fall
between September 10 and 13,
returning between September 18
and 20.

So much to see in 2019

NEXT year will be a busy
one for sports fans, with two
world cups lined up. Edusport
has various packages on
offer to witness the action
first hand.
 Cathay Pacific/HSBC
Hong Kong Sevens:
April 5-7.
The hotel and ticket
packages range from three
nights at a four-star hotel
from R16 990pps to four
nights at a five-star hotel
from R24 590pps. They
include accommodation with
breakfast and a three-day
official South Stand ticket
to the HSBC Hong Kong
Sevens.
 ICC World Cup in England
& Wales: May 30-July 14.
From R13 100pps, your
clients can watch South
Africa take on England
(May 29-June 1) at The
Oval in London or India
at the Hampshire Bowl in
Southampton (from June
4-7), from R9 600. If they are
feeling optimistic about the
Proteas, then they can opt
for a package for the final
from R14 700pps (from July
13-16) at Lords in London.
These prices are for four-star
accommodation packages
that include breakfast daily,
guaranteed official ICC
Cricket World Cup 2019
Silver match tickets and a
London travel card where
applicable.
 Rugby World Cup in Japan:
September 20-November 2.
Edusport has a number of
supporter group packages,
based on 20 passengers,
on offer. These include a
four-night package from
September 18-23, to see
New Zealand versus South
Africa, from R39 300pps; the
Bronze and Final matches
(October 24-November 4)
from R60 300pps
or a 19-night Pool B,
Follow SA package from
R66 750pps. Included
are return economy-class
flights ex-JNB (excl. taxes),
transfers, four-star
accommodation with
breakfast, Category B match
tickets, group travel insurance
and tour merchandise.

Upcoming sporting events

Find out which sports your
clients enjoy and suggest
that they make their next
holiday centred on one of
these highlights on the
sporting calendar.
Italian Grand Prix, Monza:
September 2
Ryder Cup, Le Golf National, Paris:
September 28-30
New York City Marathon:
November 4
Manchester Derby (Man City v Man United), Etihad
Stadium: November 10
Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge:
November 18
2018/19 HSBC World Sevens Series Cape Town:
December 8-9
2019 Absa Cape Epic:
March 17-24
2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, England & Wales:
May 30-July 15
2019 Rugby World Cup, Japan:
September 20-November 2