As sports tourism grows internationally, popular and less well-known towns and cities are reaping the rewards, as travellers spill over into “detour destinations”.
Expedia’s survey and research report, ‘How to win big with sports tourism’ revealed that almost 50% of travellers attending sports events chose to detour to destinations close by. Nearly 33% of respondents chose a more well-known spot close by, 20% chose a popular destination over an hour from the sporting event, and 20% chose a less-known destination close to the sporting event.
According to Expedia, this is particularly popular among younger travellers, with 88% of 16-34-year-olds exploring destinations outside their event city, indicating a shift towards a desire to seek out new places during sports trips.
Economic impact
According to Skift, sports tourism alone was worth US$565 billion (R11 trillion) in 2023, projected to grow to US$1,33 trillion (R26 trillion) by 2032.
Expedia found that travellers for sports events exhibited high spending on basics such as the sport event tickets, airfares and accommodation, and were more likely to travel for sports events taking place over more than one day, extending their average stay to two-six days.
Sports events cultivate abundant support for dining establishments, shopping centres and retailers, sightseeing attractions, historical and cultural attractions, relaxation and wellness service providers, adventure activity providers and nightlife establishments.
