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Sports Tourism Market Size, Share and Forecast 2026-2036

The global sports tourism market is worth USD 562 bn in 2026 and is forecast to reach USD 1.2 tn by 2036, growing at a 7.8% CAGR. United States is the largest country market and Spectator events is the largest by trip purpose segment.

USD 562 bnMarket size 2026
USD 1.2 tnForecast 2036
7.8%CAGR 2026-2036
United StatesLargest country

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5 segmentation views25 countries2026 to 2036 yearly forecast

Market overview

The global sports tourism market is worth USD 562 bn in 2026 and is forecast to reach USD 1.2 tn by 2036, growing at a 7.8% CAGR. United States is the largest country market and Spectator events is the largest by trip purpose segment.

ScopeVisitor spending on trips made to attend or take part in sporting events and activities: spectator events, tournaments, marathons, ski and golf trips.
IndustryTravel and Tourism
Value 2025USD 520 bn
Value 2026USD 562 bn
Value 2036USD 1.2 tn
CAGR 2026-20367.8%
Volume 2026369 million sports trips
Volume 2036611 million sports trips
Average price 2026USD 1,523 per sports trip
Report priceStarts from USD 1,999
PublishedNovember 2026

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Sports Tourism market size and forecast, 2026-2036

Exhibit 1The global sports tourism market is forecast to grow from USD 562 bn in 2026 to USD 1.2 tn by 2036, more than doublingGlobal market value in USD: 2025 base year, 2026 estimate and forecast to 2036. CAGR 2026 to 2036: 7.8%
Sports Tourism market value, 2025 to 2036Market value by year. 2025: USD 520 bn; 2026: USD 562 bn; 2027: USD 605 bn; 2028: USD 653 bn; 2029: USD 704 bn; 2030: USD 758 bn; 2031: USD 818 bn; 2032: USD 881 bn; 2033: USD 950 bn; 2034: USD 1.0 tn; 2035: USD 1.1 tn; 2036: USD 1.2 tn. Compound annual growth rate 2026 to 2036: 7.8%.2025562 bn2026818 bn20311.2 tn20367.8% CAGR

Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.

YearMarket value
2026USD 562 bn
2027USD 605 bn
2028USD 653 bn
2029USD 704 bn
2030USD 758 bn
2031USD 818 bn
2032USD 881 bn
2033USD 950 bn
2034USD 1.0 tn
2035USD 1.1 tn
2036USD 1.2 tn

Sports Tourism market segmentation

By trip purpose

Exhibit 2Spectator events is the largest segment by trip purpose, with 36.0% of 2026 revenueEstimated share of 2026 global revenue, by trip purpose
Sports Tourism market share by trip purpose, 2026Share of 2026 revenue by trip purpose. Spectator events: 36.0%; Active sports travel: 28.0%; Participation events: 26.0%; Mega events: 10.0%.Spectator events36.0%Active sports travel28.0%Participation events26.0%Mega events10.0%

Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.

SegmentShare 2026Share 2036Value 2026CAGR 2026-36
Spectator events36.0%36.3%USD 202 bn7.9%
Participation events26.0%27.5%USD 146 bn8.4%
Active sports travel28.0%27.0%USD 157 bn7.4%
Mega events10.0%9.2%USD 56.2 bn6.9%

By sport

Exhibit 3Other sports adds the most revenue by sport, growing from USD 146 bn in 2026 to USD 326 bn by 2036Estimated revenue in USD by sport, 2026 and 2036 forecast
Sports Tourism market by sport, 2026 and 2036Revenue by sport in 2026 and 2036. Other sports: USD 146 bn in 2026, USD 326 bn in 2036, change +124%; Football: USD 124 bn in 2026, USD 252 bn in 2036, change +104%; Golf and snow sports: USD 112 bn in 2026, USD 218 bn in 2036, change +95%; Running and cycling: USD 89.9 bn in 2026, USD 210 bn in 2036, change +134%; Motorsports and tennis: USD 89.9 bn in 2026, USD 183 bn in 2036, change +104%.20262036 forecastChangeOther sports+124%146 bn326 bnFootball+104%124 bn252 bnGolf and snow sports+95%112 bn218 bnRunning and cycling+134%89.9 bn210 bnMotorsports and tennis+104%89.9 bn183 bn

Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.

SegmentShare 2026Share 2036Value 2026CAGR 2026-36
Football22.0%21.2%USD 124 bn7.4%
Running and cycling16.0%17.7%USD 89.9 bn8.9%
Motorsports and tennis16.0%15.4%USD 89.9 bn7.4%
Golf and snow sports20.0%18.4%USD 112 bn6.9%
Other sports26.0%27.4%USD 146 bn8.4%

By traveller role

SegmentShare 2026Share 2036Value 2026CAGR 2026-36
Spectators46.0%43.0%USD 258 bn7.1%
Participants34.0%36.0%USD 191 bn8.4%
Teams and officials8.0%8.0%USD 44.9 bn7.8%
Corporate hospitality guests12.0%13.0%USD 67.4 bn8.7%

By event scale

SegmentShare 2026Share 2036Value 2026CAGR 2026-36
Mega events24.0%22.0%USD 135 bn6.9%
Major international events30.0%30.0%USD 168 bn7.8%
National events26.0%26.0%USD 146 bn7.8%
Regional and local events20.0%22.0%USD 112 bn8.8%

By trip length

SegmentShare 2026Share 2036Value 2026CAGR 2026-36
Day trips18.0%16.0%USD 101 bn6.5%
2 to 3 nights40.0%38.0%USD 225 bn7.2%
4 to 7 nights30.0%32.0%USD 168 bn8.5%
Over 7 nights12.0%14.0%USD 67.4 bn9.5%

Top 25 countries for sports tourism by revenue

Countries are ranked by revenue earned from sales in the country, not by where the product is made. The ten largest hold 77.0% of 2026 revenue and the 25 countries below together hold 94.5%.

Exhibit 4United States is the largest country market at USD 124 bn in 2026, and the three largest countries hold 42.0% of global revenueEstimated 2026 revenue in USD and share of the global market, ten largest countries
Sports Tourism market, ten largest countries in 2026Ten largest countries by 2026 revenue. United States: USD 124 bn, 22.0%; China: USD 67.4 bn, 12.0%; United Kingdom: USD 44.9 bn, 8.0%; Germany: USD 39.3 bn, 7.0%; France: USD 33.7 bn, 6.0%; Japan: USD 28.1 bn, 5.0%; India: USD 28.1 bn, 5.0%; Spain: USD 22.5 bn, 4.0%; Australia: USD 22.5 bn, 4.0%; United Arab Emirates: USD 22.5 bn, 4.0%.United States124 bn 22.0%China67.4 bn 12.0%United Kingdom44.9 bn 8.0%Germany39.3 bn 7.0%France33.7 bn 6.0%Japan28.1 bn 5.0%India28.1 bn 5.0%Spain22.5 bn 4.0%Australia22.5 bn 4.0%United Arab Emirates22.5 bn 4.0%

Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.

#CountryValue 2026Share 2026Value 2036CAGR 2026-36
1United StatesUSD 124 bn22.0%USD 239 bn6.8%
2ChinaUSD 67.4 bn12.0%USD 173 bn9.9%
3United KingdomUSD 44.9 bn8.0%USD 86.9 bn6.8%
4GermanyUSD 39.3 bn7.0%USD 72.6 bn6.3%
5FranceUSD 33.7 bn6.0%USD 65.5 bn6.9%
6JapanUSD 28.1 bn5.0%USD 50.0 bn5.9%
7IndiaUSD 28.1 bn5.0%USD 78.6 bn10.8%
8SpainUSD 22.5 bn4.0%USD 45.2 bn7.2%
9AustraliaUSD 22.5 bn4.0%USD 45.2 bn7.2%
10United Arab EmiratesUSD 22.5 bn4.0%USD 63.1 bn10.9%
11ItalyUSD 17.0 bn3.0%USD 33.1 bn6.9%
12BrazilUSD 14.2 bn2.5%USD 29.9 bn7.7%
13CanadaUSD 12.0 bn2.1%USD 25.1 bn7.7%
14QatarUSD 10.1 bn1.8%USD 22.5 bn8.4%
15Saudi ArabiaUSD 8.4 bn1.5%USD 18.9 bn8.4%
16South KoreaUSD 7.1 bn1.3%USD 14.9 bn7.7%
17NetherlandsUSD 6.0 bn1.1%USD 11.7 bn7.0%
18SwitzerlandUSD 5.0 bn0.9%USD 9.8 bn6.9%
19TurkeyUSD 4.2 bn0.8%USD 9.4 bn8.4%
20MexicoUSD 3.5 bn0.6%USD 7.4 bn7.6%
21PortugalUSD 3.0 bn0.5%USD 6.2 bn7.6%
22South AfricaUSD 2.5 bn0.4%USD 5.2 bn7.8%
23SingaporeUSD 2.1 bn0.4%USD 4.4 bn7.8%
24ThailandUSD 1.7 bn0.3%USD 3.9 bn8.5%
25ArgentinaUSD 1.5 bn0.3%USD 3.1 bn7.8%
Rest of worldUSD 31.1 bn5.5%USD 65.9 bn7.8%
Exhibit 5United States and China account for 35% of the USD 629 bn the market is forecast to add by 2036Forecast revenue added between 2026 and 2036 by country, in USD
Sports Tourism market, where the growth to 2036 comes fromRevenue added between 2026 and 2036. Market value 2026: USD 562 bn. United States: +USD 116 bn; China: +USD 105 bn; India: +USD 50.5 bn; United Kingdom: +USD 42.0 bn; United Arab Emirates: +USD 40.6 bn; 20 other countries: +USD 240 bn; Rest of world: +USD 34.9 bn. Market value 2036: USD 1.2 tn.Market value 2026562 bnUnited States+116 bnChina+105 bnIndia+50.5 bnUnited Kingdom+42.0 bnUnited Arab Emirates+40.6 bn20 other countries+240 bnRest of world+34.9 bnMarket value 20361.2 tn

Source: Compare Market Research analysis.
© 2026 Compare Market Research. All rights reserved.

Competitive landscape

Group 1: Global leaders

  • Expedia Group
  • Booking Holdings
  • TUI Group
  • On Location
  • Keith Prowse
  • JTB Corporation

Group 2: Regional and specialist players

  • Marathon Tours and Travel
  • SportsEvents365
  • Vail Resorts
  • Club Med
  • Gullivers Sports Travel
  • CoSport
  • IRONMAN Group
  • Sports Travel and Tours

Group 3: Emerging and niche players

  • Perrygolf
  • Trek Travel
  • Golfbreaks
  • Sports Tours International

Research methodology

Every figure on this page comes from the research framework that we apply to all of the markets we cover. The 2025 base for the sports tourism market is built from the volume sold and the price that buyers pay, and is cross-checked against the size of the wider industry the market belongs to. Where a market can be sized in more than one way, the routes are compared before a figure is set.

The forecast runs year by year from the 2025 base to 2036. Growth in each year reflects demand from the industries that buy the product, adoption of new technology, pricing, regulation and replacement cycles. Volume and price are modelled together, so revenue in each year equals volume multiplied by average price. The 2026 to 2036 compound annual growth rate of 7.8% is calculated from the resulting values.

The market is divided by trip purpose, by sport, by traveller role, by event scale, by trip length. The 25 largest countries are ranked by revenue earned from sales to buyers in each country, not by where the product is made. Segment values and country values add up to the market total in every year, and every report is checked for consistency before it is published.

Companies are placed in three groups: global leaders, regional and specialist players, and emerging and niche players. The groups describe how companies compete in the market. They are not a ranking and they are not market shares.

Our analysts also carry out primary research. Customized reports add interviews with key opinion leaders, such as senior executives, technical specialists and buyers, to test the assumptions behind the numbers for the question being asked.

Read the full research methodology

Frequently asked questions

How big is the sports tourism market?

The global sports tourism market is estimated at USD 520 bn in 2025 and USD 562 bn in 2026.

How fast will the sports tourism market grow?

It is forecast to reach USD 1.2 tn by 2036, a compound annual growth rate of 7.8% from 2026, an increase of USD 629 bn.

Which country is the largest market for sports tourism?

United States is the largest market by revenue at USD 124 bn in 2026, 22.0% of the global total. The three largest countries together hold 42.0%.

Which country is growing fastest?

Among the ten largest markets, United Arab Emirates is growing fastest at 10.9% a year from 2026 to 2036.

Which sports tourism segment is largest?

In the by trip purpose split, Spectator events is the largest segment with 36.0% of 2026 revenue.

Who are the leading sports tourism companies?

Global leaders include Expedia Group, Booking Holdings, TUI Group, On Location.

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