Sports tourism market seen tripling by 2030

A new Allied Market Research report projects the global sports tourism market will climb from $323.4 billion in 2020 to $1.8 trillion by 2030, driven by more sporting events, larger venues and rising demand for travel tied to games and tournaments. Europe leads current revenue, while domestic trips remain the biggest segment.

Why it matters: - The sports tourism market is growing fast because more fans are traveling long distances to attend sporting events. - The sector supports hotels, restaurants, retail and venue spending in host cities. - Bigger crowds can translate into higher ticket sales and more sports package revenue.

What happened: - Allied Market Research said the global sports tourism market was valued at $323,420.0 million in 2020. - The firm projects the market will reach $1,803,704.0 million by 2030. - The forecast implies a 16.1% compound annual growth rate from 2021 to 2030. - The report defines sports tourism as travel that includes watching or participating in a sporting event away from a tourist's usual surroundings. - The market covers three types: sports event tourism, celebrity and nostalgia sport tourism, and active sport tourism. - The report also includes a sample request and purchase inquiry through Allied Market Research.

The details: - Football/soccer was the top product segment in 2020, with $97,891.6 million in revenue. - Football/soccer is projected to reach $516,691.3 million by 2030. - The football/soccer segment is forecast to grow at a 15.8% CAGR. - The domestic type segment led the market in 2020 with $181,415.6 million. - The domestic segment is projected to reach $987,090.7 million by 2030. - The domestic segment is expected to grow at a 16.1% CAGR. - The passive category held the largest share in 2020 with $190,844.4 million. - The passive segment is projected to reach $1,046,683.0 million by 2030. - The passive segment is forecast to grow at a 16.2% CAGR. - Europe was the largest regional contributor in 2020 with $119,018.6 million. - Europe is projected to reach $624,081.6 million by 2030. - Europe is expected to grow at a 15.7% CAGR. - The market is segmented by product, type, category and region. - Product segments include football/soccer, cricket, motorsport, tennis and others. - Type segments include domestic and international. - Category segments include active and passive. - Regional coverage includes North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. - Key players listed in the report include BAC Sports, QuintEvents, Sports Travel & Hospitality Group, MATCH Hospitality, THG Sports, Club Europe Holidays Ltd., Gullivers Sports Travel Limited, Inspiresport, DTB Sports Hospitality and Event Management Ltd., and Great Atlantic Sports Travel.

Between the lines: - The report points to infrastructure investment as a key driver, including playing fields, stadiums and sports clubs. - More tournaments in existing venues and new venues for existing events are expanding the sport-travel funnel. - Fan zones are emerging as a trend as organizers look to reach broader audiences. - The report identifies a risk from weak financial support for franchise teams, which could lead to event cancellations. - COVID-19 disrupted flights, travel, dining and indoor events across more than forty countries, weakening sports tourism demand.

What's next: - More sporting events and larger venues are expected to keep lifting demand for hotel and resort services. - The domestic segment is expected to remain the biggest contributor through 2030. - Growth in official fan zones may become a broader strategy for tournament organizers. - Market participants are likely to keep expanding seating capacity to capture more ticket revenue.

The bottom line: - Sports tourism is moving from a niche travel category to a major global market, with domestic trips, football and passive event attendance doing most of the heavy lifting.