Expedia Group’s latest research reveals sports tourism is transforming how people travel and creating massive opportunities for the travel industry. The numbers tell a compelling story: sports tourism now represents 10% of global tourism spending and is projected to reach $1.3 trillion this year.
The survey highlights areas of growth that today’s tourism students and educators might want to take note of in order to capture future opportunities. Examples include:
- Women’s sports tourism is trending up among younger generations with 24% of 16–34-year-olds attending mix-gender sporting events (vs. the 20% overall average), and 12% attending women’s sporting events (vs. the 9% overall average).
- Sports fans aren’t just crossing town, they’re crossing borders. The data shows 44% traveled internationally for their last sporting event, jumping to 56% among travelers aged 16-34.
- Sports tourists aren’t just filling seats, they’re filling cash registers. Looking ahead, respondents planning to attend sporting events in the next 12 months anticipate spending an average of over $1,200.
Read more on travelpress.com.