Sports tourism as we know it is evolving. While mega fans have always travelled for the biggest matches and tournaments, more and more casual viewers (or even non-followers) are now adding games to their travel itineraries.
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Nearly 40% of people have taken a trip to attend a sporting event, with 23% of those polled planning to do so in the next 12 months, according to YouGov’s latest report, Sport tourism: Measuring fan appetite.
Yet when asked why they had travelled, just 37% of people said it was “for the love of the sport”. The biggest reason to travel? For 45% it was “to experience the atmosphere and excitement” that comes from a live event.
Tourists have had trying local dishes on their travel to-do lists for years, but in countries with a strong sporting culture, there’s no reason not to add attending a race or match, too.
Sumo wrestling and baseball – Japan
Sumo wrestling and baseball are two very different sports, but both are essential viewing if you’re headed to Japan.
Considered to be Japan’s national sport, sumo dates back more than 1,500 years, and part of the reason it continues to fascinate visitors are the strict rules wrestlers must follow.
Competitors live in sumo stables, where every element of their life is controlled, from the food they eat to their style of hair (a topknot). In the ring, you’ll see competitors in mawashi, a kind of belt, but even outside of it, traditional Japanese wear is compulsory.
Late last year, when London’s Royal Albert Hall hosted the Grand Sumo Tournament, photos of the wrestlers visiting tourist attractions like Big Ben and Platform 9 3/4 went viral on social media.
There are six Grand Sumo Tournaments a year – the event in London was only the second time one has been held outside of the country – with three at Tokyo’s Ryōgoku Kokugikan in January, May and September; one in Osaka in March; one in Nagoya in July; and one in Fukuoka in November.
As for baseball, while it was only introduced in Japan 150 years ago, it has quickly become the country’s most popular sport, with more than 56 million people tuning into the World Series in 2024 (Japan’s total population is around 122 million).
There are 12 professional baseball teams across the country, including two in the capital Tokyo. During a visit in 2024, I grabbed cheap seats for a game in the Tokyo Dome, and it was one of the highlights of my trip.
Did I understand the rules of baseball before attending? No. Do I understand the rules of baseball now? Also no. But I do understand the joy that comes from watching a sport with a group of very excited fans, and it was a great opportunity to chat with locals over a beer (or several…).
Banana ball – Savannah, Georgia, USA
First established in 1733, Savannah is the oldest city in the state of Georgia, and visitors flock here for its walkable historic district filled with 18th- and 19th-century buildings and monuments.
Yet over the past decade, there’s been a new draw in town: The Savannah Bananas.
The viral team plays “banana ball”, a variation of baseball that’s more show than sport, with dance routines, comedy sketches and other performances throughout. The fact that the team’s most famous player bats and pitches on stilts tells you all you need to know.
Savannah’s home is William L. Grayson Stadium, but away games can be held in cities including Tallahassee, Florida; Frisco, Texas; and Memphis, Tennessee, among others.
The game has proven so popular that you’ll need to sign up to a lottery list to secure tickets.
Ice hockey – Canada
Canada’s national winter sport is having its moment in the spotlight thanks to the popularity of HBO’s sports romance series Heated Rivalry.
Social media is awash with videos of people headed to the ‘boy aquarium’, and while the nickname for the arena pre-dates the show, its resurgence isn’t a coincidence.
Average ticket sales for games in the week the penultimate episode aired were up 24% compared to the week of the first episode, according to SeatGeek, and there’s been a noticeable uptick in first-time buyers, too.
Even if you haven’t seen the show, ice hockey – or just hockey, as it is in North America – is one of the most exciting sports to watch live, with non-stop action. You might not understand everything on the scoreboard, but you can appreciate the skill it takes to skate at speed (and the number of fights on the ice certainly keeps things interesting).
The NHL season runs from October to April, with 1,312 games in total, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to grab tickets.
Monaco Grand Prix – Monaco
Monaco is known for being the playground of the rich and famous, and its Formula 1 Grand Prix is no different.
The layout of the circuit with its narrow streets and tight corners makes it one of the most difficult on the F1 calendar, although ironically this also means that there is a lack of overtaking that some fans find quite boring.
If you’re a non-fan, though, this means you can focus purely on the atmosphere, particularly if you’re watching from one of the yachts in Monte Carlo’s marina. After the race is done, you can head to the official after party or watch live DJ performances throughout the city.
There are a number of Grand Prix weekends that are known for much more than their on-track action, including Silverstone, Miami and Las Vegas, which attract celebrities like Beyoncé, as well as Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, each of which hosts show-stopping post-race concerts from artists like Eminem and Elton John.
Muay Thai – Thailand
Known as the art of eight limbs, Muay Thai is a fascinating watch even for non-fans as moves use fists, elbows, knees and shins.
Rajadamnern Stadium and Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok are the most famous arenas – Lumpinee even featured in the 1974 James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. Rajadamnern hosts bouts daily, while Lumpinee is open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Aside from watching fights, it’s also become popular to attend a Muay Thai class or a training camp. Many hotels across the country can organise a class on-site, or you can also look up gyms nearby that are open to beginners.
