Record $52.2 Billion Spent on Sports Travel in 2023: Insights into the Impact of Youth and Amateur Sporting Events on the Tourism Industry

In 2023, the sports travel sector experienced a total direct spending of $52.2 billion, with Americans taking a record 204.9 million sports event-related trips. The Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA) shared this information at their conference in Portland, where they defined a sports traveler as someone attending an adult or youth amateur event or collegiate sports tournament, race, or other event.

According to the analysis, based on data from various sources, 63% of respondents considered youth and amateur sporting events as their top room night generator. With 73.5 million room nights generated in 2023, a 6.5% increase from 2019, the lodging sector accounted for 21% of all sports-related travel spending. This is significant as lodging taxes are a major funding source for most destination marketing organizations.

Sports ETA President & CEO John David highlighted the importance of sports tourism in the tourism industry during their conference presentation. He emphasized the long-term impacts of sports tourism on communities and expressed optimism about the future of the sector.

Research by SBJ shows that over $1.5 billion was spent on building youth and amateur sports facilities from 2020-2023, with an additional $1.6 billion expected to be invested by the end of next year. The report also mentioned that the industry created 757,600 jobs and generated $20.1 billion in total tax revenue.

The study underscores the growth of the sports travel industry and highlights its significant contributions to the economy, as evidenced by the increase in Sports ETA membership in recent years.

Overall, it’s clear that sports tourism plays a crucial role in sustaining