Sports Tourism Market By Sports Type (Football, Cricket, Tennis, Motorsport and Others), and Tourism Type (Active, Passive and Nostalgia), and Region - Market Perspective, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, and Forecast for 2023-2032

Market Perspective

The global Sports Tourism Market size was worth around USD 455.64 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow around USD 2,153 billion by 2032 with a compound annual growth rate of roughly 16.8% between 2023 and 2032 owing to the increase in popularity of athletic events like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, ICC Cricket World Cup, NBA, and others throughout the world.

Furthermore, increased expenditure on sports facilities by governments of various countries throughout the world is expected to fuel the development of the tourism market. For instance, Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the government uplifted the infrastructure for travelers which in turn helped the sports and tourism market in the country. Global expansion in the sports sector is expected to boost market growth throughout the forecast period.

The sports business is the world's largest entertainment sector, featuring the most popular sports and teams that create a positive economic impact. Motorsport, Football, Tennis, Cricket, and Basketball are among the prominent sports in the market. Additionally, considerable development in advertising and offers supplied by sports tour firms plays an important role in developing tourism to a certain place or sport, which will contribute to the sports tourism market share throughout the projection period.

Growing government funding and attempts to promote sports tourism, along with a growth in young players, are expected to have a substantial influence on the industry internationally, providing tour operators with an opportunity to enter new markets.

Key Insights

• Based on sports type, the football segment held the largest market share
• By tourism type, the passive segment generated the highest revenue
• Based on region, Europe accounted largest market share

Pioneering the Commercialization of Never-Before-Seen Event Formats

The strategies implemented by various players in the sports industry have led to diversifying formats of traditional sports. For instance, a few sporting authorities have introduced shorter formats of sports with the aim of attracting more followers. Numerous countries have their own sports tournaments/events introducing newer formats. These tournaments are partnered with key sports tourism players which bring in tourists traveling for witnessing the event.

Recent years have observed diversification of sporting events by introducing major tournaments for women. Football and Cricket have majorly introduced such tournaments for women. This has helped the sport tourism market players in offering even more products and packages.

The Growing Popularity of Sporting Activities is Propelling Market Expansion

Increasing sports activity popularity, expanding population, and rising demand for tourism activities are some of the reasons projected to fuel market revenue growth. Recent years have observed a spike in demand for sporting events globally. This surge has not been specific to a particular sport but the sports industry as a whole. This is primarily due to a rise in the number of participants which is eventually supported by rising investments in the sports industry. The presence of growing media coverage helps in attracting even more popularity.

Recent Development

In January 2023 - STH was designated as Roland-Garros's official agent. The French Tournament will be taking place between May 2023 and June 2023.

In November 2022 – A top UK sports tour provider, inspiresport signed an agreement to partner with Cricket Scotland. The company also announced a new set of tours for cricket.

In April 2022 – GO Sport Travel expanded its services and product portfolio by becoming Royal Ascot’s official reseller.

Segmentation Analysis

Based on sports type, the market is categorized into football, cricket, tennis, motorsport and others. In 2022, the football segment dominated the segmental market share accounting for over 39.2% of the total revenues generated. 2022 observed the Football World Cup in Qatar which boosted the revenues of sports tourism. Apart from this global event, football is majorly played at club levels throughout the world. Europe is the prominent region for club football with a maximum of the biggest clubs all situated in the region.

Football is played throughout the year with various leagues and champion cups. The sports tourism companies thus have to provide packages throughout the year. Following football, cricket has made significant progress in terms of revenue, most of which is from the Asia Pacific region. India is the most prominent country in contributing revenues from cricket. Cricket tournament played in India has attracted over 100,000 individuals per match. Cricket is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment in the sports tourism market.

Based on tourism type, the market is categorized into active, passive, and nostalgia. Passive tourism held the most prominent share in 2022, accounting for over 45% of revenues. Passive tourism includes all the tourists who travel for watching a sport, event, or tournament. Passive is estimated to dominate the segment through the forecast period. An increase in revenues from active tourism is subject to the increasing number of tournaments as well as an increasing number of participants. For instance, in the upcoming FIFA WC in 2026, the tournament is planning to include 48 participating nations, unlike 32 participating nations in the previous tournaments. However, the number of passive tourists will always be higher than active tourists.

Europe is Dominating the Market Share Due to the popularity of professionally played sports in the region

Europe dominated the market share attributing to more than 38% of the regional market. Europe is the most renowned region for numerous sports like Football, Tennis, motorsport, cricket in some European countries. World’s few of the top leagues take place in Europe regularly. The passion for sports has significantly grown in recent years. It has resulted in attracting even more sports travel companies in establishing their product portfolios and services in the region.

The United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy are prominent countries in the region. However, most Europeans travel for watching live sports events which in turn has propelled the market. European championships or leagues are the most viewed sporting events globally. The popularity has attracted many investors to Europe, thus, exponentially increasing the value of the sports industry in Europe. Football has been the most prominent sport in Europe owing to the presence of world-class players, the biggest tournaments attracting more and more active and passive tourists to the region

The Increasing Popularity of Sports Will Provide Opportunities for the Asia Pacific

The Asia Pacific sports tourism market is estimated to register the fastest-growing CAGR through the forecast period. Countries like India, China, and Australia are observed to attract more sporting events owing to the presence of big investors in the region. India has observed the most significant progress in sports tourism due to the rising number of sports being played at national and international levels in the country. Cricket is the most prominent sport played in India. It has attracted immense sport tourism companies in offering competitive products and packages to encourage individuals to follow the sport. Rising per capita levels, and increasing passion for sports due to convenient accessibility through the internet are a few of the other reasons propelling the market in the region.

North America is Growing at a Faster Rate Due to Increased Demand for Playing Sports

North America has been a significant region in the sports tourism industry. However, the most popular sports played in the region are Rugby, Baseball, and Hockey amongst others. Although the demand for these sports is high in the region, the global reach for these sports is comparatively less. North America is estimated to observe a spike in the tourism industry as U.S., Canada, and Mexico will be the host country for the next FIFA world cup in 2026.

Competitive Landscape

• Australian Sports Tours
• BAC SPORT LTD
• Club Europe Group Travel
• Dream Team Italy srl
• GO SPORT TRAVEL
• Gullivers Sports Travel Ltd
• Inspiresport
• LA VACANZA TRAVEL
• Navigo Sports Tours, LLC.
• QuintEvents
• STH UK
• TravelOsports

The global sports tourism market is segmented as follows:

By Sports Type

• Football
• Cricket
• Tennis
• Motorsport
• Others

By Tourism Type

• Active
• Passive
• Nostalgia

By Region

• North America
  • The U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • France
  • The UK
  • Spain
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Nordic countries
    • Denmark
    • Finland
    • Iceland
    • Sweden
    • Norway
  • Benelux Reunion
    • Belgium
    • The Netherlands
    • Luxembourg
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • New Zealand
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Southeast Asia
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Rest of Southeast Asia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• The Middle East & Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • Egypt
  • Kuwait
  • South Africa
  • Rest of the Middle East & Africa
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of Latin America