Episode 78: Sports Travel

16Mar 2022 by EJtheTravelDiva

People go on vacations for all sorts of reasons.

From people who like history to people who like going on wellness vacations, ski vacations, and beach vacations, there is a vacation to cater to anyone’s interests.

That includes sports. This is a theme that not many people talk about, so I’m going to talk about it today.

Let’s get into it:

[02:05] Did you know?

According to the Travel Industry Association, around 40% of American adults travel 50+ miles to attend a sporting event.

These aren’t only major sporting events. There are an increasing number of parents incorporating their childrens’ competitive sports into their vacation planning.

This is being called TournCations (tournaments + vacations).

The US Youth Sports economy is a $17Billion industry!

[03:50] There are three types of sports tourism.

Sports event tourism: This is when people travel to attend a sporting event.

Celebrity nostalgia sport tourism: This is when people travel to a Hall of Fame and meeting sports celebrities and personalities.

Active sports tourism: This is when people travel to participate in a sporting event.

Regardless of the event, you could probably incorporate it into a vacation.

[07:27] Not every vacation has to be international.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you don’t have to travel internationally to have a vacation.

I travel internationall, and it’s great, but I also travel within the US depending on what I want to experience.

Leaving home, whether you’re going to the next state or halfway across the world, is a vacation.

If your favourite sports team is traveling, take one or two of their games and turn those destinations into a vacation by adding a day or two to your travel schedule, whether it’s combining it with a tour of London, the running of the bulls in Spain, turning it up in Vegas, or having fun at Disney World.

Even traveling with kids can be turned into a vacation.

[12:02] Research the destination.

When you’ve figured out where the sporting event is going to be, do some research into the surrounding area.

Find some tours, local attractions, events, restaurants, a “Must See/Do” list, or anything that you look for when going on a vacation, and plan your itinerary around doing as much as possible besides just attending the sporting event.

[13:39] Purchase your tickets legitimately.

You want to make sure you haven’t bought tickets off the street or on the black market.

Your entire vacation can come to an end really quickly if you don’t have legitimate tickets.

[14:11] Plan your transportation.

Part of researching your destination is knowing exactly how you intend to get around.

Do you need to use Uber or can you walk everywhere? How will you get from the airport to your accommodation?

You want to know what your expenses will be when planning your transportation. Sometimes Uber could be much more expensive than using a rental car.

[15:16] Stay a while longer.

After the sporting event, plan a family vacation for a while.

Watch the game, have fun, share in the experience of watching a sporting event that everyone enjoys, and then tag on a vacation with various tours, events, and vacation experiences.

[16:40] What I want you to do.

The year is still just getting started.

After listening to this, I want you to find all the sporting events that you want to attend this year. Select a destination where your favourite team will be playing, and make that a vacation destination alongside the sporting event.

Research the destination.

Purchase legitimate tickets for this destination.

Spend maybe 4 or 5 days at this destination.

If you’re planning to go on a sports vacation, I hope this episode has given you all the important information that you need to make it happen.

If you’re needing help, I am a travel agent. I can put together an itinerary that will allow you to have the vacation experience that you deserve.

It’s all about the experience.

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