More Than Just Game Day
Sports tourism has evolved beyond simply securing a seat in the upper deck. Travelers are now combining marquee matchups with comprehensive itineraries that include hotels, dining reservations, museum visits and even detours to national parks. According to Expedia Group, most sports tourists attend events with friends or family, transforming a single game into a shared memory-making experience. Cities like Las Vegas have embraced this trend, attracting over two million sports visitors annually?triple the total from 2022?thanks to a calendar that now features NFL Sundays, F1 races under the lights and NHL games.
This shift significantly impacts local economies. Sports tourists typically enjoy multi-night stays, spend generously on food and cultural experiences and often extend their trips, creating economic ripples that extend far beyond arena concessions. Municipal tourism boards are now bundling game tickets with hospitality packages, recognizing that the ?travel for a team? mindset is here to stay.
The 2026 World Cup: A Game-Changer
The 2026 FIFA World Cup exemplifies this trend. The tournament will take place across three countries?United States, Canada and Mexico?expanding to 48 teams and featuring 104 matches over 39 days. Mexico City?s Estadio Azteca will host the opener (Mexico vs. South Africa), while MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the final, which is expected to include a halftime show featuring Coldplay.
From June 11 to July 19, fans will follow matches across 16 cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Kansas City and Atlanta. Houston is enhancing its infrastructure to accommodate international supporters. Host cities typically experience increases in employment, hospitality revenue and long-term tourism due to improved transit, stadium upgrades and expanded hotel capacities. The World Cup uniquely attracts global travelers who create multi-city itineraries to attend multiple games, amplifying the economic impact.
Winter Sports Take Center Stage
Before the World Cup kicks off, winter sports enthusiasts will gather in northern Italy for Milano Cortina 2026. From February 6 to 22, 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will compete for 195 medals across 16 disciplines. Milan will host the opening ceremony at San Siro, along with figure skating, ice hockey and speed skating events. Cortina d'Ampezzo?host of the 1956 Winter Olympics?will feature alpine skiing, bobsleigh, skeleton and luge against the stunning backdrop of the Dolomites. Ski mountaineering will debut as a new Olympic discipline.
The venues will span 22,000 square kilometers, allowing tourists to blend Olympic events with Italian culture, cuisine and historical excursions. Even the closing ceremony will serve as a cultural highlight, taking place in Verona?s 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater.
The American Sports Tourism Scene
Domestic leagues maintain steady demand between major events. NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and college sports fans frequently plan weekend trips around must-see stadiums. March Madness brackets inspire cross-country pilgrimages, while the Super Bowl has transformed into a week-long destination festival. Regular-season matchups have become opportunities to explore cities: Packers tickets lead to Wisconsin culinary tours, Fenway afternoons are paired with Boston history walks and NBA enthusiasts plan multi-arena road trips.
Destinations are responding with curated packages that combine tickets, hotels, restaurant reservations and local experiences. Hilton?s 2026 Trends Report found that 67% of millennials plan trips centered around passion events, with U.S. millennials significantly more likely to travel for tennis or even pickleball tournaments.
Why Sports Tourism Keeps Growing
Several factors contribute to this growth:
- A packed calendar: Domestic leagues, international tournaments, championships and esports fill each month with travel-worthy events.
- Experience culture: Fans seek stories rather than souvenirs?being in the stadium becomes a lifelong badge of honor.
- Social amplification: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok turn sports trips into shareable content, inspiring friends to replicate the journey.
- Easier planning: One-click bundles, digital tickets, travel apps and improved infrastructure reduce the friction of booking sports-centric vacations.
The Economic Ripple Effect
When fans flock to a city, ticket revenue is just the beginning. Hotels often sell out months in advance, restaurants and bars experience record attendance, transit systems see peak ridership and retail outlets enjoy surges in local merchandise sales. Visa applications typically spike before major tournaments?Wimbledon 2025 reportedly saw a 28% increase in UK visa inquiries as tennis fans planned extended stays. Infrastructure improvements made for visitors?from Houston?s transit expansions to new entertainment districts?tend to benefit local residents long after the trophy presentation.
Looking Ahead
The calendar is set to expand even further. Following the 2026 events, Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics, the French Alps will welcome the 2030 Winter Games and Salt Lake City will take the spotlight in 2034. Formula 1 continues to add host cities, tennis majors attract global crowds and emerging sports like pickleball are discovering international fan bases. Sports tourism has transformed from ?bonus travel? to the primary motivation for booking trips. Fans are now designing itineraries around their passions and with industry forecasts predicting growth to over $2 trillion by 2032, this trend is just beginning to gain momentum.
