Sport Tourism Explained

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Traveling from one location to another with the goal of participating in a sporting activity or event is known as sports tourism.

Many people believe that sports tourism solely refers to going to a sporting event to witness it. This, however, is incorrect. This is only a small part of the sports industry.

Traveling for your own sporting purposes, such as a yoga teacher training course, a badminton competition, or learning to surf, is referred to as sports tourism. Attending athletic events such as a Formula One race or a Premiership football match is an example of sports tourism. Visits to historical sites, such as the Olympic stadium in Barcelona, or to see memorabilia relating to your favorite athletic great, such as the museum at the Maracana football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, are all part of sports tourism.

Sport tourism can be divided into four categories.

These kinds are referred to as:

Sport Event Tourism

Active Sport Tourism

Nostalgia Sport Tourism

Passive sports tourism

While sports tourism has not always been popular, the number of individuals visiting out-of-town athletic events has risen dramatically in the last decade. People are increasingly coming from all over the world to attend their favorite events, which explains the unexpected increase in popularity.

Photo by Mārtiņ? Zemlickis on Unsplash

Sports tourism definition

Sport tourism is a relatively new notion, despite the fact that it has existed for quite some time.

Many academic studies have been conducted on the subject of sports tourism, particularly sports tourism including significant sporting events such as the World Cup or the Olympic Games. Some academics and stakeholders in sports tourism have attempted to define the word.

Sports tourism statistics

Sport is now recognized as the largest social phenomena on the planet. Early in the next century, tourism is expected to overtake agriculture as the world's largest industry. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that sports tourism is a major deal!

In recent years, the sports tourism business has risen significantly. The sports tourism sector was valued at $1.41 trillion in 2016, and by 2021, it is anticipated to be worth $5.72 trillion. In only four years, the company has grown by 41%!

The sports tourism business accounts for a sizable portion of the total tourist industry.

Some estimates put this ratio as high as 25%, implying that sports tourism accounts for a quarter of all tourism worldwide!

The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which expressed their resolve to strengthen their partnerships on collaboration in the sports and tourism arena in 2004, further emphasize the importance of sports tourism.

Nostalgia Sports Tourism

Traveling to well-known sport-related tourist attractions is part of nostalgia sport tourism.

Nostalgia sports tourism can honor both past and present sports. It could entail going to museums or exhibitions, as well as visiting sporting halls of fame or athletic grounds.

It is not necessary for the nostalgia sports tourist to be actively involved in sport or to be a spectator. They might just want to know more or reminisce.

Here are a few prominent nostalgia sports tourist destinations.

Active Sports Tourism

When a person travels to actively participate in their preferred activity, or when they go for other reasons, but sport is an important element of their tourist experience, they are engaging in active sports tourism.

The amateur sports tourist, the hobbyist sports tourist, and the professional sports tourist are the three types of active sports tourists.