SPORTS TOURISM

The 2007 Cricket World Cup staged in the Caribbean was thought to have generated an additional 100,000 visitors who travelled specifically for the tournament. Whilst the number of sports tourists fluctuates on an annual basis depending on the events taking place (it is greatest during FIFA World Cup and Olympics years), on average an estimated 12 million international trips are made for the main purpose of watching a sporting event. 74 Potential for Growth Increased media exposure of sporting events over the last decade has raised the profile of many sports, and although TV coverage is better than at any time in the past, an increasing number of sports fans want to experience live events.<br><br> The media also has the ability to make national and international icons of sporting stars, thereby generating greater demand, as fans want to see their sporting idols cin the flesh d. Sporting events themselves are being made increasingly appealing to attend, with greater levels of comfort, and other events 3 such as festivals - being created around them (such as horse racing weekends, boating regattas, etc). Low-cost regional airlines (and more affordable long haul flights), are also driving demand for sporting events as flights become more convenient, more regular, and of course more affordable.<br><br> Overall, the sports tourism niche market is expected to grow annually at around 6% for the next five years. Brief Profile of Consumers Sports tourists are more easily profiled according to the sports they follow. However, in general terms the bulk of the market tends to be young - between 18 and 34 years, and in the C1 and C2 (middle) socio-economic groups.<br><br> This would also be the typical profile of a sports tourist following soccer matches. Rugby and cricket followers tend to be slightly older and with greater disposable income. Horse racing has a broad range of followers with no clear demographic structure.<br><br> Followers of athletics tend to be young, low spenders, whilst those following the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit tend to be skewed towards males in their 40s with above average disposable income. Main Source Markets The main source markets for sports tourism are those that are most interested in the main international sports. These include: " United Kingdom " United States " Germany " Italy " Spain " Scandinavia " Australia " South Africa 75 Main Competing Destinations The main competing destinations tend to vary depending on where the large events, such as the FIFA World Cup and Olympics are held.<br><br> However, those holding key annual tournaments of global sporting interest include: " United States " United Kingdom " France " Australia " Spain For specific sports, such as golf, motor racing, or yachting, this list of competing destinations would vary considerably. Key Tour Operators There are a large number of sports tour operators. However most of them operate at a very local level, principally serving a specific soccer club for example.<br><br> However, there are a few that operate as international sports tour operators offering a wide range of sporting events in different countries. It is not uncommon, in particular for the much sought-after events, to find tour operators offering flights and accommodation but without tickets. Sports Tours International United Kingdom http://www.sportstoursinternational.co.uk 91 Walkden Road, Walkden, Manchester, M28 7BQ Tel: 0161 703 8161 Fax: 0161 703 8547 Premiere Sports Travel United States http://www.sportstravel.com 201 Shannon Oaks Circle, Suite 205, Cary, North Carolina 27511 Tel: 800 924 9993, 919 481 9511 Fax: 919 4811337 Key Points for Marketing and Distribution Magazine specialising in the sports related travel and events industry http://www.sportstravelmagazine.com National newspapers, both broadsheet and tabloid depending on the type of sports tour being marketed, are likely to be the most effective way for tour operators to distribute their products, as well as directly through sporting associations and clubs.<br><br> United States: USA Today (travel section) http://www.usatoday.com/travel 76 United States: New York Times (travel section) http://travel.nytimes.com United Kingdom: The Times (travel section) http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel Germany: Faz Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung http://www.faz.net Additional Information Information, media and business-to-business marketing services http://www.sportbusiness.com

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