A new global research study commissioned by IBM shows that fans are changing the way they consume sports, turning to new, more dynamic experiences, including the use of AI, personalization and real-time features.

The survey queried more than 20,000 global sports fans across 12 countries, asking them about their habits in consuming sports of all kinds. The results showed that those fans increasingly view technology — particularly AI — as a positive force and that they are using it more often. Total AI usage among fans has grown since 2024 across nearly all markets, with 85% of respondents noting that they saw value in integrating the emerging technology into their sports experience. In addition, 63 percent expressed some level of trust in AI-generated sports content, noting that real-time game/match updates (35%) and personalized content (30%) were their top priorities for AI-enhanced engagement.

The survey also asked fans how often they attend in-person events, with 73% around the world saying that they attend at least one event per year.

When it comes to the digital experience of consuming sports, over half (51%) of the fans surveyed turn to video highlights, with 37% enjoying post-event recaps and 32 percent staying connected to their sport by consuming player interviews. Dedicated mobile sports apps are also important to sports fans: Nearly 75% use them to stay updated.

Social media also remains the leading platform for accessing additional content, with influencers play a prominent role: 59% of fans surveyed engage with influencers for analysis and predictions.

Habits May Shift Again

The survey also shows that fans’ consumption of sports is not only changing now, but will likely continue to change in the future. Only 27% of surveyed fans expect those habits to stay the same over the next two years, with 80% saying technology – specifically AI— will have the greatest influence on how they follow sports by 2027.

More than half (56%) of surveyed fans want AI-powered insights and commentary for past, current and future sporting events. And advances in tech may open up new avenues for future fans in countries where they don’t speak the language. One-third of responders said real-time translation technology will have the most significant impact on their international sports experience in the next 2-3 years — particularly in markets where English is not the dominant language.

“The sports media landscape is more complex than ever, and fans are comfortable consuming digital content around the clock,” said Kameryn Stanhouse, IBM’s vice president, sports and entertainment partnerships. “With fans signaling their readiness to embrace AI, we will continue working with our tournament, league and media partners to meet fans where they are, whether they’re watching the action in person or enhancing their second-screen experience.”
To access the full report, click here.

A new study of more than 6,000 sports travelers across 12 international markets shows the number of people willing to travel for sports events is poised to grow and that those sports-related travelers book their journeys in different ways than leisure travelers.

The report, “Sports Tourists: Travelling With Passion” was created by GSIQ in collaboration with Milieu Insight to study the evolving behaviors, motivations and preferences of sports tourists.

The report concluded that there is a 63 percent potential increase over the coming years in people adding sports tourism into their travel plans. Overall, those travelers cite affordability, quality and value as the critical decision-makers when it comes to choosing which events they want to attend. Among the key findings:

• Value and Quality Drive Decisions: While passion for sports remains central, travelers increasingly prioritize affordable tickets, high-quality travel experiences, and bundled value packages.
• Destination Matters: One in three tourists choose events based on the appeal of the host location, indicating strong opportunities for cities to position themselves as cultural and recreational destinations.
• Repeat Impact: 80 percent of attendees say sports tourism improves their perception of the host destination, with 79 percent returning for non-sports-related travel and 82 percent recommending the location to others.
• New Tourist Demographics Emerging: Younger travelers dominate in emerging markets, while affluent and frequent travelers over-index for pro sports games and premium experiences.
• Event Hosting as a Differentiator: Great fan experiences, positive buzz and easy access are essential for conversion, especially among high-spending, multi-trip travelers.

“Sports tourists travel differently. They’re not just fans — they’re explorers, adventurers and influencers.” said Oliver Rowe, global managing partner at GSIQ. “With this report, we equip stakeholders with actionable insights to turn growing interest into economic opportunity.”

Among the global audience surveyed, nearly half said they have traveled to attend professional sports games. And among that global audience, the largest percentage of people that attended those games were U.S. tourists. The next most popular events attended were amateur participation sports, professional tournaments and collegiate sports. And of significance, nearly 90 percent of those that have traveled to attend sports events say they have plans to attend again.

And in breaking down the age of those who say they travel for sports, in developed western markets the highest percentage of sports tourists are aged 35–54, making up 45 percent of sports tourists in the United States and 43 percent in the UK and China.

Also of note: Sports tourists tend to travel in groups. The report found 43 percent of sports tourists travel as a pair, while 44 percent travel in either a group of three to four people, or five or more. Those traveling in groups also reported they expect to take six trips in the next few years compared to four for those in smaller groups.

More than 100 million people traveled more than 50 miles to attend professional minor league and collegiate regular-season sports events in the United States last year, generating $47.1 billion in direct economic impact, according to results of new research commissioned by the Sports Events & Tourism Association.

The research, performed by Tourism Economics and sponsored by the Northstar Meetings Group, marks the first time the economic impact of people traveling as spectators to those sporting events has been recorded. The survey concluded that 109.7 million people traveled to professional, minor league and collegiate regular-season events in the past year, including 63.5 million who spent the night.

Combined with non-direct and induced spending, those travelers generated $114.4 billion in overall impact, supporting 664,860 jobs and delivering $8.5 billion in state and local tax revenue. The $47.1 billion direct economic impact figure includes money those travelers spent on housing, transportation, concessions, retail and recreation while attending those events. Overall, those travelers generated an estimated 42.7 million room nights.

“Spectator sports travel continues to play an essential role in driving tourism and economic vitality in communities nationwide,” said John David, president and chief executive officer of Sports ETA. “This year’s expanded study affirms the far-reaching impact of fans traveling to watch their favorite teams and athletes in person.”

Sports ETA previously recorded the economic impact of those traveling to amateur and youth sports, and collegiate championships in a State of the Industry Report released last year. That report focused on those areas as the majority of those events move from destination to destination whereas professional, minor league collegiate regular-season events typically stay in one location.

The earlier report showed a $52.2 billion direct economic impact from travelers to those events and a $128 billion overall impact. Combined with the latest data, the totality of direct economic impact for all sports-related travel — amateur through professional sports — is $99.3 billion, with an overall impact of more than $242 billion.

The data marks the latest evidence of the power of the sports-related travel market. As the United States prepares to host some of the largest sports events in the world over the next decade, further attention is expected to be focused on the market. Among those events are the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Summer Games, the 2029 World University Games, the 2031 Rugby World Cup, the 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup and the 2023 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The United States is also likely to be awarded the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The new study also revealed which states generate the most spectator travel to professional, minor league and collegiate regular-season events. California, Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania generated the most travel, according to the report. Ohio, Illinois, Arizona, Georgia and Missouri rounded out the Top 10.

“These states are leading examples of how strong destination infrastructure, venue investment, and a passionate fan base translate into tourism growth,” David said. “This deeper look at spectator sports helps our Sports ETA members evaluate trends and plan for future growth.”

In 2019, the Sports Events and Tourism Association, or Sports ETA, embarked on an ambitious State of the Industry report to attempt to put a value on the economic impact derived from sports events and sports-related travel. The timing was fortuitous as it set a baseline for future studies just before the pandemic. In 2022, a second report analyzed the pace of recovery from that pandemic, looking at data from 2020 and 2021. But the latest report arguably paints the fullest picture yet not just at how the industry has recovered, but how it continues to thrive.

The headline numbers from the report, which was sponsored by the Northstar Meetings Group, are that sports-related travel had a $52.2 billion direct economic impact in 2023. More than 200 million travelers were reported, generating more than 73 million room nights. But perhaps most impressive of all, some 63 percent of destinations surveyed said that sports are their largest generator of room nights. Think about that statistic for a moment and you can start to grasp the true power and potential of this market.

John David took over as Sports ETA’s president and CEO last year after decades as an event organizer and executive himself at USA BMX. So his perspective, and his support of continuing this vital research, are the perfect match to wade into the details of the full report. And Greg Pepitone from Tourism Economics, as the lead researcher in the project, also brings his perspective on where sports fit into the mix since his organization is one of the leading data providers for the overall travel industry. In this discussion, we talk with John and Greg about the not only the headline numbers in the report, but deeper insights that were analyzed about how event organizers make their decisions on locations, what kinds of services travelers are spending their money on, which areas of the country are sourcing the most events and much, much more.

Among the topics in this episode:

• Context on past State of the Industry reports (5:08)
• What types of sports the current survey covers (6:43)
• The direct and indirect economic impact of sports-related travel (8:05)
• The strength of the sports-related travel market post-pandemic (10:22)
• Context on the number of travelers and hotel room nights (12:34)
• Looking beyond room nights to show the power of the industry (14:22)
• Why event organizer and venue data was included in the study  (17:30)
• The key factor for why event organizers choose a destination or venue (19:18)
• Do researchers get surprised by the data? (21:35)
• Findings from the venues that were surveyed (22:52)
• The Top 10 states attracting sports events (25:47)
• The big stat: 63 percent of destinations report sports as their largest room night generator (30:40)
• The story told by the percentage of cities where sports are the key sector (33:13)
• How to use the report to advocate for sports-related travel (34:24)
• How to gain access to the full report (36:42)

This episode is sponsored by:

A new Sports Events & Tourism Association State of the Industry Report reveals that sports-related travel provided $52.2 billion in direct economic impact in 2023, with more than 200 million people traveling to amateur and collegiate sports events, underscoring the power of the market to attract visitors across a variety of sports.

The report also noted that in 63 percent of destinations surveyed, sports-related travel is the top generator of hotel room nights in their communities.

The survey, conducted by Tourism Economics with support from Longwoods International, and sponsored by the Northstar Meetings Group, builds on two previous surveys, the latest of which covered data through 2021. The report covers travel to adult and youth amateur events, as well as collegiate championships and tournaments but does not include professional sports events or regular-season collegiate events.

“The sport tourism industry continued to grow in 2023, increasing by 7 percent over sports traveler volume in 2022,” said John David, president and chief executive officer of Sports ETA. “The number of sports travelers in America established a new high-water mark of 204.9 million in 2023.”

Among the other highlights of the report:

• The $52.2 billion is an increase from $39.7 billion as the industry recovered from the pandemic in 2021 and $45 billion in 2019.
• The analysis revealed that sports-related travel produced $128 billion in total economic impact in 2023, including non-direct and induced spending.
• The industry supported 757,600 jobs and generated tax revenue amounting to $201 billion.
• Sports-related travelers, event organizers and venues spent a total of $91.8 billion, including $13.5 billion on transportation, $10.9 billion on lodging and $9.7 billion on food and beverage.
• Sports-related travel generated more than 73.5 million room nights in 2023.
• Regions that prioritize sports tourism in their economic development plans have seen faster growth and greater stability in their tourism sectors.

“The results of the State of the Industry Report confirm what we have been saying for years: When it comes to travel, there are few areas of the industry that provide a more powerful economic impact than sports,” said Jason Gewirtz, vice president of the Northstar Meetings Group Sports Division and a Sports ETA board member. “Stakeholders in the industry should examine and become familiar with this data to make the case for more investment in their communities and events to serve this robust and expanding market.”

The State of the Industry Report was conducted using data from Tourism Economics and Longwoods International, as well as survey results from members of Sports ETA. For the first time, event rights holders and sports venues were asked to submit data to reach new survey conclusions.

Among the data collected were preferences by rights holders on how they decide where events are located. The top consideration for those rights holders, according to the survey, is host bids and financial incentives offered by a host destination, ranking even higher than the cost of a venue or the destination itself. Rights holders also offered data on how they book their housing for events and whether they employ “stay to play” policies to require participants to book in specific properties for events.

Data collected from venues reveals that nearly all hosted youth or amateur events in 2023. Venue managers also offered insights on their funding mechanisms and factors of a successful event for their locations.

Pulling data from sports-event industry stakeholders and economic data, the report also notes the 10 states that have the most activity in sports-related travel: Florida, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia.

“Each state played an integral role in sports tourism in 2023,” said David. “The addition of the Top 10 list of states generating economic impact with sports tourism allows us to analyze best practices for all of our members.”

The full report results are available to Sports ETA members at www.sportseta.org.

After taking its lumps during the depths of the pandemic, sports-related travel had a direct economic impact of $39.7 billion in 2021 — gaining back nearly all of what it lost from historic highs in 2019 — according to results from the latest State of the Industry Report commissioned by the Sports Events & Tourism Association.

The survey, sponsored by the Northstar Meetings Group and conducted by Tourism Economics, covers data from 2020 and 2021 and follows a baseline report the association issued in 2019 that set a benchmark for the economic height of the industry. Final results, released during the Sports ETA Symposium in Fort Worth, Texas, revealed that sports-related travel nearly rebounded from the $45 billion in direct economic impact recorded in 2019.

Among the survey’s highlights:

• The impact of direct spending on sports-related travel took an expected dip in 2020 to $21 billion, but rebounded 89 percent to $39.7 billion in 2021.
• The top three areas of direct spending were $9.7 billion on transportation, $8.4 billion on lodging and $7.5 billion on food and beverage.
• The $39.7 billion in direct spending generated $22 billion in indirect expenditures and $30.1 billion in indirect expenditures, resulting in a total economic impact of $91.8 billion
• In 2021, sports-related travel generated 66.5 million room nights, down from a historic high of 69 million in 2019.
• More than 175 million people reported traveling for amateur or collegiate sports in 2021, up 82 percent from 96 million who reported traveling for sports in 2020.
• The industry supported 635,000 jobs in 2021, although 34 percent of destinations reported their sports-related staff had decreased from 2019 to 2021.
• The industry produced more than $12 billion in tax revenue, including more than $6 billion at the local level.

Key Takeaways

One of the key numbers in the report reflects the number of people reporting that they traveled for sports. In 2019, considered the high-water mark for that figure, there were 179 million sports-related travelers. That number dipped to 96 million the pandemic depths in 2020 but rebounded to 175 million in 2021 — an 82 percent year-over-year increase.

That increase, however, comes with a caveat: The way people are traveling showed signs of change. One key takeaway in the survey’s final results is more people were traveling for the day compared to overnight, and many more were driving instead of flying, at least in the lowest parts of the pandemic, said Greg Pepitone, senior economist for Tourism Economics.

“There was a larger number of day visitors in 2020 compared to 2019,” he said. “If they had to drive 70 miles for an event, they might opt to go for the day instead of sending the night. Someone that is going 400 miles to an event, instead of hopping on a plane, they might instead opt to drive that distance.”

But one positive for the industry is that sports fared quite well compared to other aspects of the travel industry, including leisure travel.

“When you look at leisure travel in general, sports — and I think we’ve heard this a lot — rebounded more quickly than leisure travel in general, which is what we’re seeing here,” Pepitone said.

Nonetheless, that travelers were coming back in strong numbers in 2021 suggests those numbers should continue to trend upward in 2022 as well. But unknowns such as the impact of inflation and increases in gas prices may yet be a wild card in a full recovery, said Jennifer Stoll with Stoll Strategies, who consulted with Sports ETA on the report. “We could see this hold for completely unrelated reasons,” she said.

Budgets and Staffing

The results also paint a cautious picture when it comes to budgets and staffing for sports sales employees at sports commissions and convention and visitor bureaus. From 2019 to 2021, nearly 50 percent of destinations reported a decrease in their overall budget. Another 28 percent reported their budgets remained the same, while 23 percent reported their budgets had increased.

When it comes to staffing, nearly 60 percent of destinations reported their sports sales staff remained the same from 2019 to 2021. But 34 percent reported a decrease in staffing over that time compared with just 9 percent that reported an increase. Overall, destinations reported an average of 7.1 total staff in sports-related sales including full-time, part-time, seasonal staff and interns.

A key purpose of the report is to provide information for destinations to use as they make decisions about their programs in the future.

“Part of it is being prepared,” Stoll said. “If some of these travel patterns turn into trends that make our industry different like how long they’re staying, we need to know that so we can adjust.”

New research on the desire for esports fans to travel and spend money at live events reveals that the younger the fan, the more likely they are to attend in-person competitions and spend money on events.

The results also show that the ideal esports destination and venue provides public gaming areas as well as video displays and audio systems that make the experience worthwhile for an audience that shows it will also spend money on food, merchandise and tickets. The research was conducted by CSL International and the Esports Entry Advisory, a partnership formed by CSL, A-Game Esports and SimplyNew, and presented during the recent EsportsTravel Summit in Pittsburgh. Nearly 4,700 responses were received from esports fans around the world — including more than 1,100 from North America — in the survey that was completed in September 2021. The report follows an earlier study performed in 2020.

Among the highlights from the most recent report:

• 61 percent of gamers are interested in attending in-person esports events even though only 20 percent said they had been to one in the past. Of note, 73 percent of those 17 and younger said they would be interested attending in-person events.
• 42 percent of gamers said they would travel at least an hour to attend an in-person esports event, while 24 percent would travel at least two hours. Among gamers under age 35, more than 50 percent would drive at least an hour to attend an event compared to 30 percent of those age 35 and older.
• Gamers reported they would spend a median of $107 on in-venue items, including $37 on tickets, $40 on food and beverage and $30 on merchandise per event.
• Nearly half of gamers (49 percent) would consider paying for a hotel room to attend an esports event. But nearly 60 percent of younger gamers (24 and under) would consider paying for a hotel room.
• The game title is the most important factor for fans considering attending an event, followed by the ability to attend an event with friends. Survey respondents listed Call of Duty as their favorite game title, followed by Apex Legends and Halo.
• When asked to rank critical venue factors for in-person events, gamers said large video displays, food outlets and quality audio systems are near the top, followed closely by public gaming areas, outdoor event spaces and other onsite entertainment.

Tyler Othen, CSL’s project manager and esports practice lead, who conducted the research, said the results show opportunities exist for destinations to tap into younger markets and to consider enhancements to their own venues to allow for more creative events. “It hammered home the fact that these younger fans value esports significantly more than the older generations,” he said. “The economic impact and room night potential will continue to grow as esports becomes more of an in-person activity.”

Supply and Demand Gap

Similar to the organization’s previous research, there is a gap between those who report they want to attend an in-person esports event and those that have attended one. While 20 percent of respondents said they’ve been an in-person event, the majority of those had only attended one event. And while six in 10 gamers said they want to attend live events, that number was higher among younger generations. Nearly three in four gamers under age 17 want to attend events in person; 70 percent of those ages 25 to 34 said the same.

The fact that many of those gamers have expressed a desire to drive considerable distances and stay in a hotel room overnight is an opportunity, Othen said. Survey results showed about half of respondents said they would possibly, likely or definitely stay in a hotel to attend an in-person event. Of those who said they would pay for a hotel, 37 percent said they would spend $91 or more a night. “When you start coupling those together there’s a real audience for this,” he said.

One reason given for the discrepancy in those wanting to attend events and those that have yet to attend events could be the slowdown in live events caused by the pandemic, when many esports organizations began retreating to their online roots. But responses from those surveyed also revealed a feeling that not enough events exist outside the major competitions on the East or West coasts, something that could be an advantage for certain destinations, Othen said.

“There’s really an opportunity to succeed if you know how to market to the esports communities in your destinations.”
—Tyler Othen, CSL International

“There’s an opportunity in a lot of Midwestern markets or secondary markets with their host facilities, most of which are ready to host events,” he said, noting that esports competitions can be staged in convention centers or hotel ballrooms. “There’s really an opportunity to succeed if you know how to market to the esports communities in your destinations.”

Game Popularity

To that point, the research suggests destinations should get to know the games that are popular in their locations. Gamers reported the game title is the primary driver in their desire to attend an in-person event. And with the popularity of game titles changing year to year, cities will need to stay on top of what their local communities find important. “This is content driven,” said Angela Bernhard Thomas of A-Game Eports, a partner in the study. “Be aware of what titles are most successful. Do your due diligence.”

Esports fans also report they are interested in a more dynamic live event experience, a trend that is showing up among traditional sports fans as well. The survey noted that fans are willing to spend considerable amounts of food and beverage, especially since esports events can last all day.

But the use of outdoor spaces and the presence of other onsite entertainment ranked highly among the desires of esports fans, aspects that were nearly as important and the quality video and audio displays that they expect on site as well. “It’s just a reinvention of your typical notion of an enclosed facility,” Othen said.

The number of esports fans has skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic and those fans will be more willing than the general public to travel to live events and competitions when they return, according to new research presented at the EsportsTravel Virtual Summit held December 2–3 at Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas.

In a session delving into the latest research about esports fans and live esports events, lead researchers from Conventions, Sports & Leisure International and YouGov presented data that show fans not only want to travel, but they are highly interested in attending live events. The data also showed that nearly nine out of 10 destinations are interested in hosting esports events.

For context, studies show esports fans have watched 750 billion hours of gaming on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube in 2020, including the months of the pandemic. “That’s 10 times the number of hours that’s been watched of Netflix,” said Tyler Othen, project manager for CSL, which conducted its fan surveys in conjunction with the Esports Entry Advisory. “That starts to hammer home how big this market could be.”

When it comes to live esports events, Othen noted that professional esports leagues were heading out to local markets for their franchised teams before the pandemic hit. When events return, he said, those fans—combined with the new fans esports have reached online since March—will be poised to travel to events. “I think fans had been excited about the prospect of this and then had it taken away,” he said. “So I expect there to be some pent-up demand.”

Among the combined findings from the research of CSL and YouGov:

• More than 67 percent of esports fans would “maybe,” “likely” or “definitely” attend a live esports event in 2021 assuming required safety measures are implemented.
• More than half of esports fans would travel at least an hour to attend a live event and consider paying for a hotel room.
• Those in the 18–24 age bracket are nearly 75 percent more likely than those 25–35 to attend a live esports event.
• 88 percent of convention and visitors bureaus—and 79 percent of venues—said they had a “strong” or “highly significant” interest in hosting esports events once public gatherings are considered to be safe again.
• 85 percent of destinations that have hosted an esports event said they would be “very interested” to host more.
• 70 percent of esports fans say they are “passionate” about traveling compared with 50 percent of the general population.
• 29 percent of esports fans have taken a trip by air more than once in the past year, compared with 20 percent of the general population

Othen and Nicole Pike, the global sector head of esports and gaming for YouGov, said esports remained poised for a rebound when it comes to travel in part because the industry has gained so many new fans during the pandemic. “I think a lot of the in-person event industries are going to rebound,” Othen said. “But esports is particularly positioned well because people have been introduced during the pandemic not just into gaming but into esports.”

Esports Fans Will Travel

The data compiled by CSL and the Esports Entry Advisory was among the first to answer the key question perplexing destinations that are seeking to host to esports events: Will fans travel?

The answer, according to the research, is a resounding yes.

Just over 67 percent of 1,300 esports fans surveyed by CSL in the United States said they would definitely, likely or maybe attend an esports live event when those competitions return. But only 17 percent indicated they had previously attended an in-person esports event, which Othen said is an opportunity for destinations and event organizers.

Click here to download the CSL/Esports Entry Advisory research
In addition, nearly 50 percent of fans surveyed said they would travel more than one hour for an event, with nearly one in five saying they would travel more than three hours to attend. On top of that, nearly 55 percent said they would maybe, likely or definitely pay for a hotel room for an event.

“I think the opportunity here is that these are multi-day events often very much like an amateur sports tournament,” Othen said. “You’re talking about something that could surpass what concerts do on room nights but could get up to those large amateur sports levels in terms of room nights.”

Othen’s group also surveyed venues and destinations, which showed a strong willingness to host events in the future. According to the research, 38 percent of venues have already hosted an esports event while 41 percent of destinations had experience hosting such events as well.

“If you were to ask me about two years ago my guess is it would have been half this figure,” Othen said of those statistics. “It shows the growth taking place out there.”

Of the venues and destinations surveyed, 58 percent of venues and 63 percent of CVBs expressed a “highly significant” interest in hosting future events.

Esports Fans Vs. the General Population

YouGov’s new research, meanwhile, delved into how esports fans compare to the general public when it comes to their willingness to travel. And the data show that esports fans outperform the general population when it comes to their willingness to explore new places.

When asked if they agreed with the statement “I am passionate about traveling,” 70 percent of esports fans said yes, compared with 50 percent of the population. Another 66 percent of esports fans said they are “excited to generally spend more when traveling” compared to 43 percent of the population, a statistic that Pike, the lead esports researcher at YouGov, said bodes well for esports fans’ willingness to travel and spend money when they visit a destination.

The YouGov research also showed that esports fans want to explore the destinations they visit, including opportunities to visit a beach, lake, mountain or countryside.

“Esports fans want a city break, something they can do for a three-day weekend,” she said. “Esports fans are more likely to do that.”

Click here to download the YouGov esports research
As a whole, esports fans also wait longer to book their travel, with about half saying they are willing to plan at the last minute. “This particular group has flexibility to do that especially if it means they don’t have to pay as much for travel arrangements.”

Another finding of note from YouGov’s research: Esports fans are looking for outdoor experiences when they travel. Of those surveyed, 64 percent said they prefer attending events in natural spaces as opposed to being indoors. While an esports competition may have to be held indoors, longer events that span several days may want to consider an outdoor ancillary element to help attract more attendees, Pike said.

“Having outdoor elements where they can go to an expo outside or have a drink at an ancillary event may be more COVID-friendly but also would play into what their preferences are,” she said.

Click here for more coverage of the EsportsTravel Virtual Summit

A landmark new study conducted by the Sports Events and Tourism Association shows that travel to amateur and collegiate sports events in 2019 accounted for $45.1 billion in spending in the United States, an increase of over 5 percent from the previous year. In addition, that spending generated $103.3 billion in direct, indirect and induced business sales and generated 69 million hotel room nights.

The results are part of the first-of-its-kind 2019 State of the Sports Tourism Industry Report presented by Sports ETA in partnership with the Northstar Meetings Group, the publisher of SportsTravel. The report, conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, incorporates original data from Sports ETA with Longwoods International travel survey data, Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics data, U.S. Travel Association data along with NCAA and annual sports attendance figures.

While the 2019 statistics show that sports-related travel is a key economic driver, the report notes that 2020 will mark a severe setback because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, nearly 10 million fewer people traveled to participate in or watch a sporting event compared to the previous year, resulting in a loss of $2.5 billion in direct spending, according to the report. The study also estimates that from March to December 2020, 75 million fewer people are expected to travel to sporting events compared to 2019, resulting in a loss of $20 billion in direct spending.

Click here to view the full State of the Sports Tourism Industry Report.

Sports ETA expects the 2019 numbers outlined in the report will serve as a baseline for the industry as it recovers in the months and years to come and as events return to destinations across the country. “This industry study will set a benchmark for the sports-related travel industry to use as we plan for a post COVID-19 environment and sports-related travel returns,” said Al Kidd, president and CEO of Sports ETA. “While 2020’s numbers will be severely affected by the pandemic, we expect the industry to bounce back once sports are able to resume.”

The study uses statistics for travel to amateur sports events and postseason collegiate events. Regular-season collegiate events and professional sports events were not included in the economic analysis.

Hear Al Kidd and Dr. Jennifer Stoll detail the report’s findings on the SportsTravel Podcast.

According the survey results, nearly 180 million people traveled to a sporting event in the United States in 2019, either as a spectator or a participant. In addition, the sports tourism industry generated nearly 740,000 jobs over the year, including 410,000 direct and 328,000 indirect jobs. Sports tourism also generated $14.6 billion in tax revenues in 2019, with $6.8 billion of that benefiting state and local governments.

“This is a landmark study that establishes the baseline against which the recovery of the sports-event industry will be measured,” said Timothy Schneider, founder of SportsTravel and chairman of the Sports Division of the Northstar Travel Group. “By commissioning this study, Sports ETA has demonstrated its leadership in the sports industry and has provided an unparalleled data set that sports-event and sports-tourism advocates can cite when they’re making the case to devote precious resources to the development of the sports-related travel market.”
Additional findings include:

• The number of sports travelers grew 2 percent from the year prior, and the number of people traveling to attend sports events in the United States has increased by more than 10 million since 2015.
• Sports travelers, event organizers and venues spent $12.5 billion on transportation, $9.2 billion on lodging and $8.6 billion on food and beverages in the last year.
• The number of overnight sports travelers grew to 96.4 million in 2019, an increase of 1.4 million from the previous year. An estimated 54 percent of all sports travelers spent the night in the event destination. Overnight sports travelers spent $359 per person trip, an increase of $12 year-over-year, while day trippers spent $79 per person trip in 2019.
• Nearly all destinations surveyed (97 percent) hosted a youth sports event in 2019, with less than half saying they had hosted senior or U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee events.
• On average, 38 percent of destinations owned their own events in 2019. Of those, 65 percent owned a team event and 57 percent owned an individual-sport event.
• Destinations surveyed hosted an average of 70 events each in 2019, with more than half experiencing a growth in the number of events and participants from the previous year.

“Sports generate substantial economic impacts to destinations across the United States,” said Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics. “As a result, the recovery of sports-related travel will be an important driver of the economic recovery in the coming year.”