In 2023, the sports travel sector experienced a total direct spending of $52.2 billion, with Americans taking a record 204.9 million sports event-related trips. The State of the Industry Report, shared by the Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA) at their conference in Portland, defines a sports traveler as someone attending an adult or youth amateur event or collegiate sports tournament, race, or other event.
The analysis, based on data from various sources, found that youth and amateur sporting events are the top room night generator for the lodging sector. With 73.5 million room nights generated in 2023, a 6.5% increase from 2019, the lodging sector accounted for 21% of all sports-related travel spending. This is significant as lodging taxes are a major funding source for most destination marketing organizations.
Sports ETA President & CEO John David highlighted the importance of sports tourism in the tourism industry, stating that sports have played a crucial role in sustaining the industry over the past few years. He emphasized the long-term impacts of sports tourism on communities and expressed optimism about the future of the sector.
According to SBJ research, over $1.5 billion was spent on building youth and amateur sports facilities from 2020-2023, with an additional $1.6 billion expected to be invested by the end of next year. The report also mentioned that the industry created 757,600 jobs and generated $20.1 billion in total tax revenue.
The study underscores the growth of the sports travel industry, as evidenced by the increase in Sports ETA membership in recent years