Sports tourism identified as key driver of visitor economy growth

July 26, 2024

A new report from the United Nations has identified sports tourism as one of the four top trends driving travel booking decisions.

Also revealed as one of the fastest-growing sectors worldwide, both in size and market volume, UN Tourism has advised that the market reached an approximate value of $US609 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at rate of around 16% between 2024 and 2030.

According to UN Tourism “the tourism and sports sectors are inextricably linked and play a key role in enhancing economic diversification, growth, and social development in many destinations by creating jobs and supporting businesses in cities and rural communities.

"The increasing popularity of major sporting events attracts more and more domestic and international visitors."

UN Tourism announced this week that it will hold its third World Sports Tourism Congress in Madrid on 28th and 29th November 2024.

The event will bring together high-level stakeholders from these sectors to share innovative ideas, best practices, and insights of sports tourism, including its economic impact, contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and strategies for effectively promoting destinations through sports events and sponsorships.

American Express report identifies importance of sports tourism
American Express Travel's 2024 Global Travel Trends Report has also identified sports tourism as one of the four top trends driving booking decisions, based on survey data from travellers in Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the USA.

According to the report, a desire to see sporting events live and to watch favourite teams and beloved players in person are driving where travellers are going and what they are doing when they get there.

Almost four in 10 respondents (37%) to the survey said they had plans to travel for sporting events in 2024, with 67% of Millennial and Gen Z respondents being interested in travelling for sporting events in 2024.

Commenting on the findings, American Express Travel President, Audrey Hendley stated “travellers are focused on creating the right itineraries and building memories, whether that means booking a trip to see a favourite sports team compete or taking a once-in-a-lifetime expedition cruise."

Click here for more information on UN Sport Tourism.

Click here for details on the third World Sports Tourism Congress in Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Image: Fans at the Hong Kong Sevens.

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