Providing Sports Tourism to Profit Your Community
Sports tourism continues to be one of the fastest developing sectors of the travel industry and is becoming increasingly global. Current figures show it as an approximately $7 trillion industry.
Sports Tourism Defies Economic Slumps
According to the National Association of Sports Commissions, youth and amateur sports spending here in the United States continues strong, even during and following the 2007 recession.
If your city, town, or community has the opportunity to host a sporting event, you can bring in outside revenue through hotel bookings, food services, and shopping. This revenue is not limited to commercial businesses. Individuals can rent out living spaces via VRBO or Airbnb. More sports tourism money coming in translates into more spending by your local community.
The downside is that your city or town must bid to host an outside event. If you win the bid, you are committed to paying a hefty price to host the event, which reduces your bottom line revenue.
Current Trends In Sports Tourism
Homegrown Events
By developing and sponsoring homegrown events, you save the cost of paying another entity to host an event. Partnering with local sports teams or leagues is a good way to come up with your own events. In addition to saving money on bidding and hosting fees, you don’t have to deal with room guarantees and rebates with your local hotels. You also don’t have the risk of someone outbidding the event and having it leave your area.
If you can provide continual homegrown events, revenue earned can be put into upgrading infrastructure. This benefits both visitors and locals alike.
Local Sports Commissions
Cities that are serious about hosting major sports tourism events have created sports commissions or sports authorities, staffed by experts in the field. These organizations are typically affiliated with the local Chamber of Commerce.
Mega Events
The highest level of hosting would be sponsoring a mega event. If you are in a city that has been awarded a mega event, such as a FIFA World Cup or the Olympic games, your regional and even national economy can be bolstered.
Be sure to keep up on current trends in sports tourism. Do your research on different sports visitors and what they look for when they travel and attend an event. Remember that sports tourism is fundamental to supporting and revitalizing a healthy, happy community.
Resources For Your Local Sports Tourism Efforts
The National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) is a great resource to help you develop your own homegrown events. They are available to help with marketing and event management and are committed to protecting the integrity of the sports tourism industry.
Sports Facilities Advisory And Your Local Sports Tourism Needs
Sports Facilities Advisory is committed to helping you plan, fund, and operate your sports tourism events. Please visit our website or call us today at (727) 424-3845 and let us help you make your dreams come true.
