Sports tourists can be further classified according to the distance they’ve travelled to attend or participate in a sports tourism event. Individuals traveling further than 90 minutes to attend an event have different lodging and dining needs than those traveling less than 90 minutes. Additionally, female athletes travel with more parents and family members, and they spend more on recreation and retail than males of the same age. These differences affect the economic impact that sports tourists have on a community and they have a direct impact on how we plan and develop sports tourism venues.

Sports Facilities Advisory has served over 2,000 communities since its start in 2003. Our experience comes from guiding the nation’s premiere sports tourism venues from concept to concrete. Additionally, the SF Network operates the largest group of managed tournament venues in the U.S., producing more than $200 million annually in hotel and visitor spend. SFC is also currently overseeing multiple new developments that include new hotels, entertainment venues, restaurants, and retail attractions. The economic impact of these mixed-use developments, driven by the boom in sports tourism, can be transformational to communities.