Sports Tourism witness 10-12% growth in India
Sports Tourism is experiencing immense growth of 10 -12% in India. Sports enthusiastic are traveling places just to watch their favorite team playing. Cricket is the beloved sport for an Indian. After launching of Indian Premier League, a spike in travel is observed. Not just cricket, people are now turning towards sports like football, tennis and also Grand Prix Formula One race. People also travel to watch Olympics, especially the opening ceremony.
Head of Cox and Kings, Karan Anand told to PTI, “Globally sports tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry. According to estimates, global sports tourism was worth USD 7 billion in 2017. While it is a mature industry overseas, in India it is in infancy (stage).” Men usually love watching sports and are always willing to travel to various countries to watch their favorite team or player playing. Love for football is emerging in Indians nowadays. As the FIFA is nearing, people will definitely travel to watch this exciting game. He said, "There has also been a shift in the interest for other sporting events like the Soccer World Cup or the Olympics. We see 10-12 percent growth in arrivals to these destinations when a major sporting event takes place."
KAYAK Director, India and the Middle East, Abhijit Mishra said, “Many people use these trips as an excuse for a longer holiday, combining their sporting passions with a general love for travel. On the other side, many in the tourism industry have also begun to realize the value of wooing these tourists - many of them fall into the high-spending category, stay longer than other tourist categories, are high-caliber and often stimulate other tourism.” When a person travels to watch an interesting game, he/she usually tend to explore the area. They extend their stay by at least 2-3 days to enjoy their trip.
Source: moneycontrol
