UNWTO describes sport tourism as "one of the fastest growing sectors", playing an important role in the tourism industry.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines Sports Tourism as one that is actively or passively concerned with the travel experience when a visitor participates in or observes an event. competitive sporting event, held at a particular location.
Some good examples of sports tourism are tourists around the world who come to watch the World Cup, Olympic Games, tennis tournaments like Wimbledon, US Open..., Formula One races or marathons. , a trekking trip, taking part in yoga classes... Besides, this activity also includes nostalgic visits to places of historical importance. For example, visiting Barcelona, Spain to visit the Camp Nou or going to Paris, France to visit the Stade de France...
Sports tourism includes many activities such as going somewhere to participate in a race, yoga classes, trekking, surfing lessons... Photo: Greek Travel
This tourism activity has developed very rapidly in recent years. According to a report from the US-based consulting and market research firm Allied Market Research, global sports tourism is estimated to be worth around $323 billion in 2020 and will reach $1.8 trillion by 2030. also pointed out that Europe and North America hold the largest market share in 2020, with two-fifths of the market. However, the sports tourism market in Asia - Pacific is forecast to achieve the highest growth rate in the coming time, thanks to the increase in the number of people participating in sports and organizing sports events. The UNWTO describes sports tourism as "one of the fastest growing sectors that is playing an important role in the tourism industry".
Akis Tsolis, CEO of Active Media Group, a software and digital media development company from Greece, writes: "Sports tourism is good for the economy for one simple reason, it creates an impact. economic activity through direct community spending.Sports tourism is a rapidly growing niche in the travel and tourism industry.We believe it is the fastest growing segment in the tourism industry today. now, generating billions of dollars a year. Sports tourism is a trend that won't go away and is expected to continue to grow."
Usually, at sports events, the number of visitors is often double - three times the number of athletes participating. The reason is that they often go with their families and relatives and bring a great source of profit to local tourism.
Residents of sporting event venues often benefit greatly economically as tourists flock here to compete, track and travel. Photo: UNWTO
The sports and tourism industries go hand in hand. UNWTO believes that tourism and sport have a reciprocal relationship as there are always large numbers of tourists flocking to the host site to hang out, alongside those who come to compete.
Sports tourism is one of the fastest growing types of tourism and is considered big business. More and more tourists are interested in sports activities during their trip, whether sport is the main purpose of the trip or not. It is also considered to be the two driving forces behind the promotion and sustainable economic development of tourist destinations.
Major sporting events such as the Olympics and World Cups can be a catalyst for tourism development if successfully capitalized on aspects of destination branding, infrastructure development, economic benefits and other society.
The importance of sport tourism has been emphasized in the joint media statements of UNWTO and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The statement emphasized that both tourism and sports fields are strong drivers for development, stimulating investment in infrastructure works such as airports, roads, stadiums, sports complexes to restaurants, hotel..
