Outbound sports tourism from South Africa represents a significant and high-value segment of the overall travel market.
It involved thousands of travellers annually, contributing substantial economic value through high spending on travel and related services, Illana Pereira, COO of Sports & Events at Tourvest Destination Management told Travel News.
Globally, the sports tourism market is poised for significant growth and is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 15,2% over the next four years, reaching an estimated increase of US$771,4 billion (R14 trillion) between 2024 and 2028, according to Technavio.
Edusport CEO, Nicky Bell, told Travel News that the operator had seen growth in South Africa’s sports tourism market since COVID. “South Africans are sports fanatics and we see big interest in football, rugby and moto-sport.”
Football and Grand Prix are the largest markets for Edusport.
Football’s die-hard fans dream of watching a match live in the stadium, according to Bell. “We also find that Formula 1 supporters want to experience at least one Formula 1 in person. It’s a great opportunity to see different destinations while enjoying the sport.”
Bell said Edusport had also seen an increased interest in trail running.
Edusport is a sports travel specialist, offering different packages for different types of sports – for those who want to take part in a sport and those who want tickets as spectators. Golf tours, cycling tours and trail-running trips can be tailormade, and packages that include official event tickets to local and foreign sports events, are available.
Pereira agreed that Formula 1 was hugely popular among South Africans. The thrilling high-speed action, the global prestige of the event and the cutting-edge automotive technology have great appeal.
Furthermore, South Africans often travel to watch international rugby matches, especially during the Rugby World Cup, the Rugby Championship, and the British & Irish Lions tours.
“It is popular, as rugby is our national sport and it’s enjoyed by the whole family. As South Africans, we love to be in the stadium to support our team wherever they are,” said Pereira.
She added that the appetite for South Africans to travel as supporters for other sports such as football and cricket, was somewhat less but still present.
Tourvest Destination Management has a dedicated division for sports travel, which includes Pure-Travel and SA Rugby. Pure-Travel offers a variety of products from ski holidays to international sporting event spectator packages such as the Olympic Games, Wimbledon and FIFA World Cups. It also arranges travel for marathons and school sports events.
Patrick Barta, CEO of outbound golf tour operator, Golf Gourmet, told Travel News that South Africans had a big appetite to travel for golf, whether playing or watching a tournament.
“Golfers love to play new courses and travel, and many have the means to travel abroad.”
He added that the traditional golf outbound destinations for South Africans, such as Scotland, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, were normally the first to be considered.
However, new destinations such as Turkey, Italy, France, Morocco and the Middle East and Far East were becoming increasingly popular.