The Top 10 Trends Powering the Sports Tourism Boom
The sports tourism and events industry has never been stronger than it is today. For our 11th year of the Sports Planning Guide trends article, we will highlight some of the reasons why, and what we see coming in the New Year. We hope you enjoy this year’s edition of the top 10 trends in sports tourism.
1. Mega Events – Our country is about to host two of the largest events the sports world has to offer. The World Cup next year and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will offer opportunities for destinations large and small to plug in.
2. Artificial Intelligence – The industry is just starting to sort out what AI can accomplish. While we are a bit skeptical of the overall (potentially negative) impact that may occur, this one is worth tracking and learning more about what this technology can and cannot do in our space.
3. Trade Show Relevance – The destinations and rights holders we serve are becoming more intentional in how they spend their time and resources. The normal speed dating model at the various trade shows that worked well 15 years ago is tired. More direct relationship bridge-building between the relevant parties is becoming the norm. We recommend that everyone plug into our national association (Sports ETA) and all that they offer throughout the year, and potentially one additional Fall show. Then augment that with additional biz dev technologies and in-person outreach through FAMs and sales missions.
4. Intentional Use of Data – Our team at HUG is being asked more and more to chime in on the value of an event, from both the destination and event owner’s view. Today, there are more data sources that can help analyze a sporting activity or event than in the past. We can geofence, track credit card and cell phone data, where those people came from, and where they go. While DMOs have been mining this data for years, event owners are just now coming to the party. Leveraging these data pools is a major opportunity for destinations and rights holders alike.
5.DMOs Leading on Facilities – If the tourism leaders in a destination don’t take the lead on driving facility development, it’s likely nobody will. The top sports tourism communities we work with are leading the thought process, planning, funding, and programming for their venue “tool kit.” The proactive destinations on facilities will win in the long run.
6. Investment in “Silent Sports” – Individual outdoor leisure sports did quite well during the pandemic, think canoe, kayak, paddleboard, golf, archery, trail running and cycling. All these sports grew during the pandemic and the destinations we serve are asking about how they keep that momentum rolling. How do we turn our trails into “competition venues? What waterway access do we need to accommodate the leisure traveler and ALSO the competition-level visitor? These questions come to our team on nearly every project we work on, yet were not on the radar in most destinations five years ago.
7. Enhanced State Alliances – There are more state sports tourism alliances today than at any time in our industry’s history. The visit “insert city here” way of doing business has largely given way to come partner with “insert STATE name.” It’s a big shift, and a positive one for collaboration across the sports tourism community.
The last three are carryovers from last year.
8. The Portal – The NCAA has launched its latest bid portal with new timelines. With facility development at the top of mind in many destinations we serve, who can get their venue offering to the finish line in time for this round (or the next round) of bids?
9. Statewide Alignment – Our team at HUG has seen a lot more intentional involvement in sports tourism from the state level across the country. There is more strategic thought and political influence around sports tourism than in the past. We are also seeing a much higher level of engagement from various state tourism offices. It seems like state tourism leaders have figured out that a majority of those they serve (DMOs and CVBs) count sports tourism as a top priority. Good to see the higher-ups leaning into our industry.
10. Highest Best Use – The three biggest parks/city trends we see across the country on the facility side are: (1) get pools off our books, (2) get golf courses off our books, and (3) convert tennis courts to pickleball. The theme here is what is our highest and best use of the real estate and facilities we have.
Thanks for all you do for your organizations and those you serve.
Best wishes for an awesome 2026.
Yours in Sport,
Jon
About the author:
Jon Schmieder is the Founder of the Huddle Up Group LLC, a sports industry consulting company led by award-winning executives. Schmieder has 29 years of experience in leading sports tourism and events organizations through strategic growth and increased community collaboration. The Huddle Up Group has worked with more than 400 sports organizations and destinations on over 150 strategic projects, facility feasibility studies, and business development. In 2017 and again in 2025, the Huddle Up Group was given the Superior Service Award, the highest honor a consulting firm can earn from the National Association of Sports Commissions (now Sports ETA). We can be reached at Jon@HuddleUpGroup.com or 602.369.6955. To receive the weekly “Monday Huddle Up,” visit www.HuddleUpGroup.com or sign up at https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/773696/110530520508532503/share. © Huddle Up Group, 2025
