Sports Tourism: State of the Industry 2023

Sports-related travel is a substantial, billion-dollar industry.

Commissioned by the Sports Events and Tourism Association (ETA) and in partnership with Northstar Meetings Group, Tourism Economics assisted in the production of the recently released 2023 State of the Industry Report—a crucial resource that offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of the sports-related travel industry. 

The report is conducted every two years to track trends on key metrics, including industry direct spending, economic impact, tax revenue and job creation. Additional highlights focus on valuable destination profile information, such as budget sizes, event dynamics, staffing and key performance indicators.

Together, these insights serve as a leading tool for advocacy among all industry segments. Learn more about Sports ETA and this biennial report here. 

Key highlights from the report conclude that in 2023: 

• 63% of cities that responded said sports are the top room-night generator in their communities
• The sports-events industry had a direct economic impact of $52.2 billion, $128 billion in total economic impact and generated $20.1 billion in taxes
• More than 200 million people traveled to youth and adult amateur sports, plus collegiate championships
• Sports-related travel generated more than 73 million room nights
• The industry supported a combined 757,600 full-time and part-time jobs

Learn more about conducting an economic impact study with our team.