Tourism and sports now go hand in hand, attracting interested travelers

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Research has proved that sports fans are often enthusiastic travelers. Now with sports events taking place all over the globe, the synergies between sports and travel are quite evident.

This was witnessed last year when Kenya hosted the SportPesa Super Cup in Nakuru. Statistics showed that Tanzanian tourists where the second most to have visited the country as three of their teams: Yanga, Simba and Singida, who took part in the competition.

Hence, the travel and tourism sector has one of the largest sponsorship outlays in sports. A number of countries have become prominent spenders, with Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Qatar topping the list. The countries reportedly spend millions of dollars on multiple sports rites annually to market themselves. From cash-rich destinations like Qatar, to smaller provinces like Trentino, destinations are now embracing sports by forming strategic alliances that go beyond hosting events.

Across the five major football leagues in Europe, 25 clubs have signed partnerships with a tourism authority. Champions League clubs PSG (Qatar Tourism Authority) and Manchester City (Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority) boast the largest deals, considering the size of their fanbases and the global exposure that both teams receive.

For destinations, it is no longer just about hosting major events; governments and tourism authorities also understand the power of sport and the effectiveness of sponsorship as a marketing tool for increasing the economy, image and quality of life for their residents.

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