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

The analysis, based on data from various sources, found that 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, stating that sports have played a crucial role in sustaining the industry over the past few years. He emphasized the long-term impacts of sports tourism on communities and expressed optimism about the future of the sector.

According to SBJ research, 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, as evidenced by the increase in Sports ETA membership in recent years. The report paints a positive picture of the industry’s prospects and highlights its significant contributions to the economy.