Sports fans are fuelling the bleisure travel trend, extending game days into getaways with family and friends. According to Expedia Group’s 2025 Sports Tourism Study—spanning 2,000 travellers across Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the US and the UK—sports tourism is fuelling travel demand and creating significant opportunities for local economies.
On their most recent sport event trip…
SPORT ATTENDED:
Football/soccer: UK respondents (64%); Germans (54%); Mexicans (53%)
Ice hockey: Canadians (37%)
Baseball: Japanese (26%)
American football: Americans (24%)
TRIP LENGTH:
62% stayed 2–6 days
17% stayed a week or more
TRAVEL COMPANIONS:
35% with friends
34% with partners
33% with family
TRIP PRIORITIES:
69% attend the game itself
47% spend time with family and friends
45% explore the destination
20% travelled 1+ hours to visit nearby spots
30% explored within the same country
Would attend an event abroad
Canadians: 62%
Germans: 58%
French: 57%
Favourite downtime activities
Tourist attractions: Japanese (60%)
History/cultural: Germans (33%)
Relaxation/wellness: 25 to 34-year-olds (42%)
Average per-person trip spend
US$1,500+
SPORTS TOURISM IS PROJECTED TO REACH US$1.3 TRILLION GLOBALLY BY 2032
Source: Expedia Group, 2025 Sports Tourism Study
