Sports Tourism

Sports Tourism, as a term refers to tours and travel to different countries in the world that involves either a participation in a sporting event or simply viewing them. Tours involving sports in their itinerary over the years has developed into a fastest growing sector in the world travel industry. In modern times, sports tourism equates to 600 billion dollar on a yearly basis. Tourism involving sports has witnessed a steady growth worldwide, since 1970’s. Some of the popular games associated with such kind of tour and travel includes Olympic, Commonwealth, Asian Games, football world cup, cricket world cup, and rugby. These sporting events have led the specialized travel and tour companies to achieve the facility of official ticket allocation. These tickets are then sold in packages including the facilitating options of flights, hotels, and excursions.

Types of Sports Tourism

To make things simpler and carrying out the operation of sports tourism in a simplified way, it has been categorized under two different sectors. Robinson and Gammon have categorized it under the sectors Hard Sports tourism and Soft Sports Tourism. Gibson, on the other hand offered three categories namely, Celebrity and Nostalgia Sport Tourism, Sports Event Tourism, and Active Sport Tourism.
Here is a detailed look at the classification of tourism involved with sports tourism worldwide :-
1)Hard Sport Tourism – Such kind of international trips are usually defined in association with the number of people participating in the event. Usually, sporting events associated with such a kind of tour attracts and appeals to the visitors with their motivation. Some of the events that are associated with this are regional events like, NASCAR, and other events including FIFA World Cup, F1 Grand Prix, and Olympic Games.

2)Soft Sport Tourism – Tours and travel that are associated with recreational sporting are defined as soft sport tourism. Association can both include either participation or signing up for a leisure trip. Some of the sporting events include skiing, hiking, and canoeing.

3) Sport Events Tourism - This kind of tourism is mostly associated with tours that are planned with the sole purpose of watching the events. The major example of such tourism is Olympics. The country hosting the Olympics witnesses a significant rise in the tourist count and appeal.

4)Celebrity and Nostalgia Sport Tourism – Such kind of tourism is associated with two areas that include visiting the sports halls of fame and venue and meeting renowned sports personalities during a holiday.

5) Active Sport Tourism – Sports tourism that involves active participation into the sporting event is referred as active sports tourism.
However, the number of sports tourist in a country during any particular event might differ annually. The average estimation is recorded at around 12 million trips that are planned internationally during a sporting event.

Sports Tourism Countries

The major source market includes countries having an interest in the major international sporting event. Some of the countries that are mainly associated with tourism associated with sports are:-

• Italy
• Spain
• Germany
• Australia
• South Africa
• Scandinavia
• United States
• United Kingdom

Department of Tourism in Sports

Usually, most of the countries with a sport tourism appeal have a department controlling the entire purpose. Such a department is often formed within the government itself, mostly under the Ministry of Tourism for the sole purpose of promoting the international events globally. Usually, the main aim of the departments is to work towards contributing to the social, cultural, and economic development of the country in the global market along with promoting the tourism appeal. The departments are usually also responsible for encouraging sporting achievement offering proper access to sports and arts facilities.
Arts Sports Tourism usually promotes the sporting events and cultural affairs of a country on a global platform along with a facility of encouraging tourism during regional sporting events.

Last Updated on 21/01/2011