TORONTO — As the Stanley Cup finals play out this week in Edmonton and Florida, have you connected with any hockey-obsessed clients? Hang on to them – they could well be the starting point for your new niche in sports travel. Sports travel isn’t new by any means. For decades sports fans have been hitting the road to see their favourite team play in a different city.
But in the strange way that trends work, suddenly after all this time, sports travel is breaking through and capturing the attention of the industry at large. You only had to listen to the pitches from delegates at Brand USA’s Canada Connect last week to get a sense of the growing popularity. From Minnesota, to Denver, to Los Angeles, there were many mentions of thriving sports scenes with plenty of professional league teams.
“Sports tourism is huge, and we have all the teams,” said Crystal Atkinson, Global Tourism Development Manager for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Bureau, at Brand USA’s Canada Connect event in Toronto. In Arizona, “it’s a rapidly rising market,” said Laura Nestenau, Account Director, Arizona Office of Tourism Canada. “It’s a growing audience and we’re trying to see how we can get into that niche and get more Canadians into that market.
” It makes sense that in these days of bucket-list travel, more and more sports enthusiasts are elevating their fandom with travel. They’re treating themselves to customized air, hotel and sightseeing packages featuring a game.
