I have two friends who visit a different U.S. city each year for a weekend of football games — college on Saturday, pro on Sunday. One year, it was Notre Dame and the Detroit Lions; the next year, it was Louisiana State University and the New Orleans Saints.
I recall thinking that was a long way to go for football.
But, according to research from Future Partners’ “The State of the American Traveler,” 27% of U.S. travelers journeyed to attend sporting events in 2025, and that number is expected to grow.
“Sports travel has particularly strong appeal for Americans for cultural, social and experiential reasons,” said Duane Penner, vice president of sales for luxury sports travel operator Roadtrips. “Fans don’t just follow teams — they build lifelong emotional connections, and that loyalty naturally extends into a willingness to travel to see their teams play.”
Sports are big business, so it makes sense that travelers plan trips around athletics, whether those are annual affairs — such as Wimbledon, the Indianapolis 500 and the Kentucky Derby — or once-in-a-lifetime events for a destination, such as the Super Bowl, World Series, Olympic Games or FIFA World Cup.
“Sports travel is about legacy and connection,” said Steve Guilday, director of travel at AARP Services, Inc. “Whether it’s a grandfather taking his grandson to see the World Cup or a group of friends reuniting for a golf tournament, sports provide a shared language and a reason to gather.”
Epic Events Across North America
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles are already positioned as major drivers for sports travel over the next several years.
"With the World Cup and Summer Games taking place right in our backyard, there’s a tremendous opportunity for travel advisors to take advantage of this growing demand,” said Dave Guenther, president and founder of Roadtrips.
Kier Matthews, head of global luxury sales for sports and entertainment events supplier On Location, agrees.
“Sports travel transforms a typical trip into a much more exciting and emotional experience,” he said. “Instead of simply visiting a destination, fans become part of the energy of a live event — and that sense of being there when history happens makes the trip far more meaningful than traditional travel.”
This summer marks the first World Cup hosted across three countries, drawing millions of fans to watch a record 48 teams compete in 16 North American cities — two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the U.S. — making it the largest sporting event ever staged.
While soccer fans certainly won’t want to miss the chance to attend games so close to home, it’s an opportunity for travel advisors, as well.
Fans of “Welcome to Wrexham” hope to spot the club’s famous owners on the pitch.
Credit: 2026 Netflix“Becoming familiar early and often with those schedules once they are released will be key,” said Jason Gewirtz, senior vice president of content, meetings and sports at Northstar Travel Group, the parent company of TravelAge West. “For high-profile events, fans have to be directed to a limited number of outlets that are given the rights to sell those tickets. So, travel advisors should be aware of who those entities are to know where the legitimate tickets can be found.”
Sports travel transforms a typical trip into a much more exciting and emotional experience.
World Cup games will take place during the peak summer travel season in perennially popular vacation destinations, including Boston, Philadelphia, Mexico City, Miami, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as New Jersey for the final — allowing clients to visit multiple destinations and also extend their stays before and after games.
“It’s a regional moment,” said Elena Prostova, vice president of Miles Partnership, a marketing consultancy for the travel industry. “And that makes it significant because the event itself is built for exploration and travel.”
Hotels in all 16 host cities are courting World Cup bookings, including Kimpton Epic Hotel in Miami, which has developed fan-focused programming around World Cup matches.
“Sports tourism is having a clear impact on our booking pace,” said Ericka Nelson, the hotel’s director of operations. “We’re seeing travelers pairing games with extended leisure stays — a blend of high-energy events and destination appeal that’s translating directly into stronger demand across key travel windows.”
Following the announcement that the U.S. men’s team will play in Los Angeles, the city of Irvine, California, is promising a slower-paced alternative that’s less than an hour from the games. A bonus for fans is that Irvine’s Great Park is the official training site for the U.S. men’s national soccer team.
“Irvine offers World Cup travelers a balanced home base,” said Misty Bond, executive director of Destination Irvine. “Our location gives fans the best of both worlds: the excitement of the tournament and the broader Southern California experience, all within a 45-minute car or train ride.”
The Hawaiki Nui Vaa ocean canoe race is a reason to visit French Polynesia.
Credit: 2026 Tahiti Tourisme/Kim LawsonMillions of fans are also expected to descend on Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. Thanks to the city’s infamous urban sprawl, events will be held across a large geographical area, offering clients the chance to explore all of Southern California.
“Los Angeles is the epicenter of sports, culture and entertainment,” said Reynold Hoover, CEO of Olympic Games organizing committee LA28. “And every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide the best possible experience.”
As for the upcoming Olympic Games, the diversity of venues will allow advisors to curate itineraries that encompass multiple vacation experiences. For surf, there’s Trestles, an iconic surfing area along the Southern California coast made famous by The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ U.S.A.” song. Baseball games will be held at the home of Major League Baseball World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Squash will make its Olympic debut at an iconic “Back to the Future” filming location on the Universal Studios backlot.
“The U.S. is entering a remarkable run of hosting global sporting events, giving fans even more opportunities to travel for iconic, once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” Matthews said.
The U.K. Reigns Supreme
Most destinations host seasonal sporting events, but the U.K. is home to many of the most famous, including Wimbledon, the Formula 1 (F1) British Grand Prix and English Premier League soccer. Next year will also see Tour de France stages in Scotland, England and Wales, bringing one of the world’s biggest cycling events to British roads for the first time since 2014.
“Sports tourism has long been a major driver for Americans visiting Britain because the experience goes far beyond attending a match,” explained Carl Walsh, senior vice president of the U.S. for VisitBritain. “Match-day rituals, local gatherings, historic venues and those small moments that can only be found in Britain are often highlights for travelers.”
According to AARP’s Guilday, London in particular is consistently a top destination for sports travel.
“Many consider it to be the holy grail because of its density,” he explained. “On any given spring weekend, you can catch Premier League soccer, Six Nations rugby and elite cricket, all within a short tube ride.”
For example, the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire — about 90 minutes from London — draws the largest crowd of any Grand Prix on the F1 racing calendar. Plus, Silverstone offers trackside accommodations and driving experiences that let attendees feel the thrill of F1 racing firsthand.
Silverstone offers trackside accommodations so that clients can experience the thrill of F1 racing up close.
Credit: 2026 Silverstone CircuitFor clients who are fans of the docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham,” advisors will want to recommend checking in on the beloved Welsh football club — where perhaps travelers will spot actor-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds — as well as visiting the new Football Museum of Wales, opening this summer.
“Combining tickets with stadium tours, local traditions and immersive activities makes trips more appealing,” Walsh said. “All this creates an experience people remember long after the final whistle.”
Unique Events Offer New Travel Opportunities
Lesser-known sporting events are also gaining popularity, including rodeos, figure skating and cultural affairs such as the Hawaiki Nui Vaa ocean canoe race, which provides a fun new reason for clients to visit French Polynesia.
“Hawaiki Nui Vaa is essentially our Super Bowl,” said Iotua Lenoir, sustainability and events manager for Tahiti Tourisme. “But more than a sporting event, it’s a living legacy passed down from our ancestors.”
While high-profile and bucket-list events will always be a draw, the largest part of the market is actually in participatory sports — youth sports events, endurance races, amateur events and the like, says Jason Gewirtz of Northstar Travel Group.
“Understanding the scope of the sports-related travel market should be the first step travel advisors take,” he said. “There are passionate fans and enthusiasts in every sport imaginable, and many sports you didn’t even know existed.”
Why Sports Attract a Diverse Clientele
Who travels for sports? According to Anbritt Stengele, founder of sports travel package provider Sports Traveler, the answer is everyone. And after my sons convinced me to spend the first night of our Paris vacation at a Paris Saint-Germain soccer match, I would agree.
"Traveling to see a favorite team play or witness a sporting event in person is on many Americans’ bucket lists,” Stengele said. “We host thousands of fans at various events every year, and the demographics are just as diverse as the types of sports.”
For clients who may not be ready to plan an entire trip around sports, CityPass offers guided tours of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and admission to the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; the discount ticket package operator also recently added VIP guided tours in Texas of AT&T Stadium and The Star in Frisco, the headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys.
“By adding stadium tours, we’re giving travelers an opportunity to go beyond game day and experience this remarkable venue up close,” said Megan Allen, president and CEO of CityPass.
Penner of Roadtrips notes that luxury clients are already traveling for sports, but they may not realize that these experiences can be arranged through their travel advisor.
Stengele adds that advisors don’t need to be an expert in sports to sell sports travel.
“If you can sell travel, you can sell sports travel,” she said. “You likely have sports fans in your client database, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how many are eager to attend the sporting event of their dreams.”
