Why Sports Travel is Winning Now – Forbes Travel Guide Story

The term “March Madness” first became mainstream in the early 1980s, when announcer Brent Musburger began using it to encapsulate all the annoying, buzzer beating and overall hysteria of the NCAA 1 Division Men’s Basketball Championship.

Although this excitement still defines the event, today’s phrases may better describe the fanatics trying to get into the actual game. The tournament’s 68 teams participated in men’s team and 64 teams in women’s brackets announced Sunday afternoon that most games began on Thursday and Friday at venues across the country. Most schools don’t know where they are going until the first four days of Tipoff, which gives fans little time to buy flights, book hotels and line up for babysitting. This is pure madness.

Not that following your favorite team or the players around you is something new. Sports enthusiasts always take root in their baseball squads, heading to Las Vegas To engage in a big battle, or to recruit a friend on a golf vacation. In fact, United Nations Tourism The report said that sports tourism (a travel experience that specializes in the audience or participates in sports) accounts for about 10% of the global tourism market. The estimated growth rate is expected to be 17.5% between 2023 and 2030, making it one of the fastest growing industries in the industry.

The biggest difference today is that luxury brands and high-end hotels are in the game, offering a variety of cool privileges and unique opportunities to enhance the experience of fans spending thousands of people catching up with their team in the away game.

Mercedes Benz It is one of the luxury brands that do a good job of exploring customer trends and habits. Long-sponsored top sporting events (Masters, British Open) and major entertainment venues (AtlantaAutomakers know that if it will remain at the forefront of consumer thinking, it needs to have a presence wherever it is.

“We saw it from two perspectives,” said Dimitris Psillakis, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S., “One is where we want to be where our customers are.” We want to provide them with the opportunity to connect brands to a fun lifestyle – not only top events, but top concerts. ”

Psillakis, a Greek native who loves football and competitiveness on the court, added: “We (we also) see sports as an environment where you can thrive and you can compete with other brands. (Carl Benz) invented the car, but we continue to reinvent it and (continue) compete in areas of technology, safety and comfort. Sports is full of competition. That’s what makes us a lot of sports.”

The Marriott is another understanding of the importance of rubbing elbow guards with fans. The company’s loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, grants customers plenty of opportunities to participate in unique activations. Some sports selections include a behind-the-scenes arena tour and exclusive meetings with athletes and coaches.

The latest effort from NCAA’s official hotel partner Marriott Bonvoy is integral134 lucky Bonvoy members will be randomly selected to earn the same points as the total scores scored in 134 games of the 2025 men’s and women’s basketball game.

Las Vegas will host the men’s semi-finals for the first time in 2028, which will only drive fans’ madness to glide along the street in their favorite jerseys. A city from gambling capital to entertainment hubs to food playgrounds now happens to focus on hosting as many sports events as the calendar allows.

“We embrace our gaming history,” said Steve Hill, Las Vegas Conference and Visitors Administration CEO and President. “Sports in Las Vegas add what we offer and add a new reason to visit. While the gaming component when visiting Las Vegas is an option, it is no longer the only or most popular draw.”

Hill and his team are in an interesting situation. They naturally wanted to promote the city’s WNBA ACE, NFL Raiders, NHL Golden Knights and track and field that is about to become MLB, but since Las Vegas is such a huge attraction for out-of-town fans who want to take root for their team and play some Roulette, they put up the red carpet for all fanatics.

“Traveling to see your favorite team or event isn’t necessarily the only election experience on the weekend,” Hill said, looking forward to hosting the WrestleMania 41 and the 2027 college football national championships this April. “In Las Vegas, three to four games can be included in a weekend. Maybe it’s the arrival of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and staying in the Sphere and Raiders games.”

When it comes to guests from all over the world, there is nothing compared to the FIFA World Cup. Next summer’s huge football exhibition will be played in 16 stadiums in North America, from Toronto arrive Kansas City Until Guadalajara. In terms of traffic and media coverage, every game will be like a Super Bowl. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar brought in 3.4 million viewers and set a revenue record of $5.8 billion.

Some hotels will provide their large visitors with packing and party pie. Others, such as Forbes Travel Guide four-star Fairmont Hotel Vancouverfour-star Lotte Seattle (Already run overnight promotions related to Hometown MLS Sounders) and Forbes Travel Guide Recommendations The Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta There is no need to do a lot of things because they are within walking distance of the World Cup venue.

The Winter Olympics will be Milan Next February, the alpine city of Cortina d’Ampezzo in northern Italy. The International Olympic Committee expects that during the Olympics, about 3,000 athletes and thousands of fans will visit Dolomites, creating an avalanche for regional hotels to win tourists.

Four-star rating Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti Probably more than two–The nearest event hour drives, but the original property will have powder packing fun with its Olympic-style ski and wellness program from January to March next year. The promotion is aimed at good travelers who love slopes, including pre-ski conditioning with expert, mental resilience training, Après-Ski Spa therapy and athlete-approved dining menus – all of which are designed to give guests a gold medal experience that they will never forget.

Whether or not the Olympic Year, one of Sardinia’s central goals Ford Village is a family-friendly resort offering the best sports academy in the world. Come to the beautiful hotel on the southern coast of the island for a week, your itinerary can carry fenced classes for nine Olympic champions, with table tennis classes with international sensation and mountain biking with one of the world’s top professional cycling teams. The highest-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner practices here. The Italian national football team trains here. You are free to use the same facilities.

Despite football dominating the global sports tourism market, golf remains a major player in the U.S., whether it’s taking part in the annual pilgrimage with partners at Pinehurst or Tiger Woods fans finally making the Masters bucket list listed as Augusta, Georgia.

The Allegorical Fairway of Pebbles Beach has been hosted six times in the United States – 2027 will be the seventh time – so California’s Pebble Beach Hotels Essentially selling your own, but packages like Pros (luxury accommodation and three-wheeled golf) and amazing facilities like five-star ratings spa Don’t get hurt when hanging overnight.

When in an award-winning resort, such as a pebble beach or Kohler, Wisconsingolfers are often so excited about traveling that they overlook an important factor – time. “The biggest mistake I’ve ever seen golf guests make is that they haven’t stayed long enough,” said Nick Dockter, marketing manager for Kohler’s Whistle Channel and Black Wolf running courses. “There are four 18-hole championship golf courses, a 10-hole, three-pole route, Spawellness and outdoor activities (activity), golf guests usually don’t have enough time to experience all the products of the resort and have to give up what they regret. ”

But whether you’re packing your favorite club in September or preparing for a crazy club in March, it all boils down to proper planning, safe and embracing local culture. Luxury hotels and brands earn MVP honors for bringing so much pressure from the travel equation, allowing you to focus on more important things like cheering.

“I think I’m lucky because I worked in Brazil ten years ago, and we had the World Cup there,” recalls Psillakis, CEO of Mercedes-Benz. “I’m great football Contest. Brazilians love football. This is a place. I hope to be here in 2026 (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, one of them) and be part of the Olympics. I will be following several teams all over the country. I’m looking forward to it. ”