Potential and challenges

du lich the thao tiem nang va thach thuc hinh anh 1 — Major sporting events such as the Olympics and World Cup are catalysts for tourism development.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) describes sports tourism as "one of the fastest growing sectors" and is playing an important role in the tourism industry. According to the organization's definition, sports tourism is a type of tourism that actively or passively involves the tourist experience when participating in or observing a competitive sports event, held at a specific location. Sports tourism products include tickets to watch or directly participate in sports tournaments, along with transportation, hotel, food, sightseeing services, etc.

Professor HLisa Delpy Neirotti, Director of the Sports Management Program at George Washington University (USA), commented: “Sports tourists spend a lot of money on hotel rooms, eating at restaurants, shopping and visiting tourist attractions. In addition, more and more professional teams are playing in international venues and fans want to follow them. This can help destinations attract tourists’ attention through social media and word of mouth.”

For some countries, sporting events are an opportunity to raise their international profile and promote their country. Saudi Arabia, China, Qatar and many others are using sports to showcase their country, not just to the live audience, but to all those watching the broadcast or streaming.

The 19th Asian Games, held in China in September 2023, sold more than 3 million tickets, generating revenue of more than 610 million yuan ($85 million). Sales of licensed goods brought in another $107 million, while sponsorship income from 176 companies brought in another $623 million. Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in August 2023 that the Women's World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, generated more than $570 million in revenue.

According to Delpy Neirotti, the main goal of sports tourism is to improve visitor numbers, especially during the “transition season” (the period between the peak and the off-peak seasons). In Singapore, September is the transition season, where hotel room rates rise to S$590 (US$440) during the weekend of the annual Formula One race.

In Indonesia, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Vinsensius Jemadu affirmed: “According to forecasts from a few years ago, the scale of the sports tourism sector will reach nearly 18,790 billion Rupiah (1.2 billion USD) by 2024 for Indonesia”. Not only moto sport, this country also has great potential for eco-tourism with activities such as off-road running, cycling, swimming... These sporting events all have the potential to attract many people, thereby helping to promote different economic sectors such as hotels, cuisine, small and medium enterprises in related fields.

Travel experience booking site GetYourGuide said that sports-themed bookings have increased 130% since 2019, with most bookings coming from travelers in the UK (37%), the US (20%) and Germany (17%). According to CNBC, GR8, a luxury US travel agency, is taking requests from travelers for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, including tickets to the opening ceremony, access to the Olympic Village and meet-and-greets with athletes. France is expected to welcome 15 million visitors during the 2024 Paris Olympics, making it the world's top destination.

Four years ago, Europe and North America had the largest market share, with 40% of the market, according to a report from market research and consulting firm Allied Market Research. However, the Asia-Pacific sports tourism market is now forecast to have the highest growth rate in the coming time, thanks to the increase in the number of people participating in sports and organizing sports events. UNWTO describes sports tourism as "one of the fastest growing sectors, 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 also very good for the economy for a simple reason, it creates economic impact through direct spending in the community. 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, generating billions of dollars every year. Sports tourism is a trend that is not going away and is expected to continue to grow."

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