A new survey from Hyatt has revealed sports-tripping, the trend of travelling specifically to watch sporting events, participate in competitions or for sporting holidays, is boosting business bookings.
Sports-tripping is expected to grow 17.5% between 2023 and 2030 making it one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry. For Brits, 52% said they have, or would, plan a holiday around a major sporting event. Nearly a quarter (24%) see it as a way to explore a new destination.
Furthermore, 9% of people would add a sporting event to an existing business trip – whether that be before or after.
Around one in six Britons (16%) consider access to sports during business travel an important incentive. Football is the most commonly played sport on work trips (21%), followed by swimming (17%), running (15%), and both cycling and yoga (11%).
“We’re increasingly seeing the demand for sport in leisure travel make its way into business travel, whether it’s seeing a major sporting event, participating in a personal sporting event or incorporating sports into a business schedule,” said Paul Dalgleish, VP of sales, revenue and business development EAME.
“In 2024, we saw a 22% year-on-year increase in meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition inquiries for Hyatt’s UK properties, driven by the demand for experience driven business events. With this appetite from businesses to deliver unique, experiential events only growing, the incorporation of sport comes as no surprise.”
In terms of trade shows, could we see sporting and business events work hand-in-hand in the future? This latest research certainly indicates that it could be effective.
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