Sport Tourism
In 2008 the world’s travel and tourism generated approximately US$5,890 billion of economic activity. With the contribution of travel & tourism to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expected to rise from 9.9% in 2008 to 10.5% by 2018, the next decade will see tourism revenues exceeding US$10,000 billion.
Sport tourism is at the heart of this growth and as the fastest growing sector in the global travel and tourism industry, accounted in 2008 for an astonishing US$600 billion or +10% of the international tourism market.
The economies of cities, regions and - in the case of attracting mega events such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup - entire countries are increasingly reliant on combining sport and tourism to jump start economic and socio-economic change.
Tourists engaged in sports tourism are high-spending, stay longer than other tourist categories, are high-calibre and often stimulate other tourism. Their direct benefit to a destination is cash - their indirect benefit can be years of follow-on tourists.
Barcelona doubled its number of tourists in the 10 years following the 1992 Olympic Games and other cities in Spain also benefited from a knock-on effect. Barcelona has since become the sixth most attractive European city to locate a business, rising from 11th place.
Sydney generated £1.2 billion additional business following the 2000 Olympic Games. Tourism has dramatically increased and media coverage to the value of an astonishing £2.5 billion was achieved.
There are many reasons for the sport tourism boom. The continued sportification of society is prompting a seismic shift in tourist patterns. The 21st Century is witnessing traditional sun and sea vacations – traditionally the main stay of the travel and tourism industry - being replaced by activity sport related vacations and a new breed of tourists keen to attend an ever increasing calendar of readily-accessible mega sporting events.
Sport tourism – for many years the “sleeping giant” of travel - is set to play a catalytic role in sparking global tourism recovery in 2010 and beyond.
The 1st edition of WSDE was fortunate to be hosted by South Africa Tourism alongside one of the most important sporting events in history – the 2010 FIFA World Cup – and the first ever in the African Continent.
The anticipated 400,000 tourism arrivals for the FIFA World Cup left South Africa with many misconceptions reappraised, providing years of follow-on tourists and a true sporting legacy.
South Africa’s Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, cites the 2010 FIFA World Cup as the key to return South Africa to its pre-recession tourism high.
Construction linked to the World Cup would contribute R50bn to the economy with the Rainbow Nation creating approximately 130,000 jobs in infrastructure development during World Cup preparations.
He said: “The World Cup afforded us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to showcase the best we have as a tourism destination.”
A recent study by commissioned by the Brazilian government, showed that the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio will provide a boost of more than $24bn from 2010 until 2027.
The 2016 Olympics and 2014 FIFA World Cup will also provide Brazil with a platform in which to attract foreign investment.
Brazil’s economy is currently the tenth largest in the world - and predicted to be fifth by 2016.
Sport tourism is now a tool to make and achieve many things - to generate significant revenues, create thousands of new jobs, regenerate urban infrastructure, and to develop or reappraise entire destinations.
Growth in Sport Tourism Forecasts
Source: WTO (World Tourism Organisation)