Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors worldwide, both in size and market volume.

According to UN Tourism the market reached an approximate value of $US609 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at rate of around 16 per cent between 2024 and 2030.

"The tourism and sports sectors are inextricably linked and play a key role in enhancing economic diversification, growth, and social development in many destinations by creating jobs and supporting businesses in cities and rural communities," UN Tourism said.

"The increasing popularity of major sporting events attracts more and more domestic and international visitors."

UN Tourism announced this week that it will hold its third World Sports Tourism Congress in Madrid on 28-29 November 2024.

The event will bring together high-level stakeholders from these sectors to share innovative ideas, best practices, and insights of sports tourism, including its economic impact, contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and strategies for effectively promoting destinations through sports events and sponsorships.

Learn more here.

American Express Travel's 2024 Global Travel Trends Report has also identified sports tourism as one of the four top trends driving booking decisions, based on survey data from travellers in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

According to the report, a desire to see sporting events live and to watch favorite teams and beloved players in person are driving where travellers are going and what they are doing when they get there.

Almost four in 10 respondents (37 per cent) to the survey said they had plans to travel for sporting events in 2024, with 67 per cent of Millennial and Gen Z respondents being interested in travelling for sporting events in 2024.

President of American Express Travel Audrey Hendley said: “Travellers are focused on creating the right itineraries and building memories, whether that means booking a trip to see a favorite sports team compete or taking a once-in-a-lifetime expedition cruise."

Destination NSW supports stellar sports event calendar

Investment in signature sporting events plays a key role in Destination NSW's strategy to position Sydney and NSW as the major events capital of the Asia Pacific.

Research conducted by Neilsen, for example, estimated the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™, supported proudly by Destination NSW, made an economic impact of $1.32 billion in Australia, with more than 86,000 visitors cited as a major driver of expenditure.

Destination NSW was also proud to support the Supercars Sydney SuperNight and the Wallabies versus Georgia match last weekend, while the World Time Attack Challenge will take place on 30-31 August at Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek.

September highlights supported by Destination NSW include Sydney Marathon (15 September), the Bledisloe Cup Wallabies versus New Zealand match at Accor Stadium (21 September) and the Touch Football National Youth Championships at C.Ex Stadium in Coffs Harbour (25-28 September).