Sports Tourism Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Sports Type (Soccer/Football, Cricket, Basketball, Tennis), By Tourism Type (Active, Passive, Nostalgia), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global sports tourism market was valued at USD 587.87 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.5% from 2023 to 2030. The significant growth in the popularity of sporting events, such as the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, the NBA, and others across the globe, is one of the major factors propelling the growth of the industry. In addition, the increase in spending on sports infrastructure by governments of various countries is anticipated to further boost the growth.

The rising growth in the sports industry across the globe is projected to propel the market growth during the forecast period. The sports industry is the largest entertainment industry across the globe, with the most popular sports and teams highlighting a positive impact on the economy. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, cricket, and soccer are the most popular sports played and watched across the globe. Moreover, significant growth in advertisement and offers provided by sports tour companies plays a vital role in increasing tourism to a particular region or a sport that will further contribute to the growth during the forecast period.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the sports tourism market, as most sports events were canceled and postponed across the globe in the year 2020. For instance, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) both suspended their seasons in 2020. Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Baseball (MLB) delayed or suspended their seasons for (initially) 2-4 weeks and events of the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour were canceled. Several sports leagues altered their schedules in response to the pandemic. Therefore, these cancellations of sports events during the pandemic further negatively affected sports tourism across the globe.

In recent years, many sports tournaments have been introduced for women. For instance, the Women's Big Bash League was introduced in 2015-16 by Cricket Australia and the Indian Premier League introduced the women’s edition in 2018. Furthermore, many established women’s sports tournaments and leagues are witnessing increased women’s team participation. The rising number of tournaments introduced and the increase in women’s team participation in various leagues and tournaments are further expected to drive the growth of the sports tourism industry globally.

Furthermore, the International Hockey Federation started the Men's FIH Pro League, an international men's field hockey competition, in 2019, and since then it has been organized every year. According to the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB), sports funding through the Federal Ministry of the Interior for Building and Home Affairs (BMI) has witnessed growth from USD 334 million (Euro 279 million) to USD 351 million (Euro 293 million) in 2021.

In addition, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario announced in August 2022 that it would contribute a total of over USD 9.3 million to help Tennis Canada's National Bank Open tournament return. This investment supports tournament enhancements, such as infrastructure upgrades to accommodate more fans and improvements to product offerings. These factors will propel passive tourism over the forecast period worldwide.

Growing government financing and initiatives to encourage sports tourism, as well as an increase in the number of young players, are predicted to have a significant impact on the sector globally and provide tour operators with a chance to tap into new markets. It is also projected that more government support for the sector will accelerate expansion. Various governments are promoting sports holiday destinations to domestic and international tourists to boost their foreign exchange revenues by fostering the expansion of the industry. 

Sports Type Insights

In terms of revenue, the soccer/football segment dominated the market with a share of over 37 % in 2022. In the last few years, more sports leagues and tournaments were introduced across the world. In April 2021, the European Super League Company, S.L. founded The European Super League, officially The Super League, a proposed seasonal club football competition that would have the participation of around twenty European football clubs.

The cricket segment is projected to register a CAGR of 17.9% from 2023 to 2030. The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) set a new record attendance attracting a crowd of 1,04,859 for a single match, Gujarat Titan vs. Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi stadium in Gujarat, which has a capacity of 1,32,000. Due to the increased demand for sporting events, the Indian cricket board allowed 100% seating for the four playoffs since the COVID-19 pandemic. These instances highlight the substantial growth of the segment.

Tourism Type Insights

In terms of revenue, the passive tourism segment dominated the industry with a share of around 42.29% in 2022. Since the onset of the pandemic, people have missed the opportunity to watch their favorite stars play on the ground and this has increased their desire to attend live tournaments. According to the Sports and Entertainment Consumer Trends Report 2021, 82% reported that they missed the experience of watching live events. People are more eager than ever to make a full-day experience of any outing.

The active segment is estimated to grow with the fastest CAGR of 17.7% over the forecast period. In addition, most tournaments and leagues are further considering increasing the number of participating teams. For instance, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have 48 teams compared to the 32 teams playing in the earlier seasons. This rise in the number of teams participating in various leagues and tournaments will increase the number of matches played and will eventually have a positive impact on the growth of the active sports tourism market.

Regional Insights

Europe held the largest revenue share of 38.01% in 2022 on account of the rising number of athletes, sports events, and the number of visitors from all over the world. In addition, the biggest markets in Europe, including Germany, France, and the U.K., present the most potential in the region. Even though the population size is smaller in Austria, Denmark, Finland, and Spain, those countries' citizens travel more for sports.

Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of over 18% during the forecast period. China and India are positively contributing to the growth. The growing sports events industry, rising per capita income, the growing middle-class population, and increasing disposable income are some of the factors contributing to the industry’s growth. Moreover, significant growth in the popularity of international sports events such as the Cricket World Cup and Tokyo Olympics is further expected to propel the market growth.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is characterized by the presence of a few established players and new entrants. Many big players are increasing their focus on the growing trend of sports tourism. The key players are diversifying their service offerings to maintain market share.

• In November 2022, From January 2023, inspiresport, the top UK provider of young sports development tours, will be a partner in an exclusive new collaboration with Cricket Scotland. The company has recently launched The R66T Festival of Cricket and The R66T Dubai cup, as well as offering domestic tours to Lancashire Cricket

• In September 2022, Gullivers Sport Travel, the Group Travel Specialist, announced a one-year partnership where Waratahs Alumni host four Sports travel tours during the Rugby World Cup in France featuring Darren Coleman, Phil Waugh, Tony Dempsey, and Ian Kennedy

Some prominent players in the global sports tourism market include:

• BAC Sports

• Inspiresport

• Gullivers Sports Travel Ltd

• Dream Team Sports Tour

• Navigo Sports Tour, LLC

• Allsports Travel

• Australian Sports Tours

• Premium Sport Tours

• La Vacanza Travel

• XL Sports Tours

Sports Tourism Market Report Scope

Global Sports Tourism Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global sports tourism market report based on sports type, tourism type, and region:

• Sports Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Soccer/Football

  • Cricket

  • Basketball

  • Tennis

  • Hockey

  • Others

• Tourism Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Active

  • Passive

  • Nostalgia

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Australia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa (MEA)

    • South Africa