The Impact Of Football Tournaments On The Tourism Industry
Why do countries compete for the right to host the World Cup? Because it is a good opportunity to attract tourists. For example, Russia in 2018 attracted 300-500 thousand more visitors. This is compared to the same period in previous years.
Sports events have come a long way from just being televised entertainment. They now bring together crowds for hours, days, or even weeks. These crowds come to witness the spectacle, fantasize about the heroic feats of athletes, support their favourite teams, and purchase tournament, city, or regional souvenirs. Some even take advantage of the opportunity to extend their stay! That’s what sports tourism is all about – it’s not just a matter of sports anymore, it’s now a matter of short vacation getaways where supporters become sports tourists.
The Impact of Football Tournaments on the Tourism Industry
Sport is not only beneficial for health but also for tourism! Events like the Olympic Games, Football or Rugby World Cup, Tour de France, Champions League, Tennis Masters, and many others attract thousands of supporters each year. These sports events not only provide tactical moments but also contribute to the reputation of the host country. Sports tourism has become a means to establish an international image. Travel agencies and the hotel trade can directly benefit from such gatherings.
“The Olympic Games serve as an incredible international promotion tool for the host country, given their massive media impact (3.7 billion viewers and 25,000 journalists).” – Paris 2024 Committee
In Canada, the sports tourism sector generated sales revenue of $2.5 billion in 2011. The 1976 Olympic Games made Montreal a renowned tourist destination in the Western World, where sports take center stage. Even today, the Olympic Stadium is considered one of the city’s primary attractions.
For the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, tourism is expected to be a major beneficiary of the event, with an estimated 30% share of the economic benefits ranging from 5 to 11 billion euros. Frédéric Valletoux, President of the Paris Île-de-France Tourism Regional Committee, emphasizes this potential.
Advice! If you’re not ready to travel the world for football events, try streaming services like HBO Max. If service is not available for you, just use the link here and remove the regional restrictions. The same applies to any other streaming platform.
Let’s recall the football tournament in 2014, which made Brazil an attractive tourist destination, especially for business tourism. The event led to the construction of hotels and the professionalization of the hotel and restaurant industry, contributing to the growth of the tourism sector. Brazil had set an expectation of hosting 600,000 foreign tourists, double the number of South Africa in 2010. However, the country received 1,015,000 tourists from 203 different countries. Notably, 16.7 million people traveled within the country by plane during the tournament, setting a historical record of 572,000 passengers in a single day, as confirmed by the Civil Aviation Department. On this occasion, Voyageurs du Monde (travelers of the World) was the exclusive travel agency selling packages for the Brazilian Football World Cup. This lucrative exclusivity resulted in sales of around 4 million euros, mainly to companies.
What do You Need to Know About Sports Tourists?
Football is one of the most popular sports worldwide, especially beloved by Europeans. They love to come together to support their countries during international tournaments. Even if it is not possible to attend in person, many of them connect to local TV channels through the free VPN extension for Edge and cheer for their team. The sense of community is what sets football fans apart.
According to a study conducted by Visa, half of the British, French, and Germans expressed interest in sports results. Following their favorite teams has even become a great excuse for taking time off – with 20% of the French, 25% of the British, and 34% of the Germans planning their vacations around attending football matches. It’s interesting to note that this sentiment is particularly strong among young Europeans under the age of 44, especially the British (77%). If you want to delve deeper into the travel habits of German tourists and young European travelers, make sure to check out our previous articles on our blog!
Already at the 2018 World Cup, sports tourists spent 31% more than those who attended the 2014 World Cup. This increase will primarily be seen in accommodation (10%), dining (25%), and transportation (10%).
Conclusion
It does not have to be about world tournaments in order to attract foreign tourists to the city and country. Even competitions of not the highest level attract tourists who leave a lot of money during their trip. If you have a business, you can profit from it.
