Fans are seeking more than just attending the event; they desire immersive experiences that extend beyond the stadium or concert venue. This trend is driven by factors such as the increasing number of events, wider global reach of sports leagues and music artists, and pent-up demand post-pandemic.
In the past three years, 83% of sports fans and 71% of music fans in Asia have travelled by plane for events or plan to do so soon. Among these travellers, 84% visit new cities or countries, with 31% returning and 30% planning future visits. Notably, sports fans are big spenders, with 17% in Asia spending over $2,000 per trip. This high expenditure is especially prevalent among the 25-34 age group, a key demographic. Additionally, over half (56%) of fans travel for events more than once a year, emphasising the growing popularity of sports and music tourism in the region.
Additionally, over half of travellers (54%) use travel agents when booking a package deal for an event, more so for sports fans (58%) than music fans (55%), with event travellers from Thailand (74%), India (69%) and Brazil (68%) most likely to use travel agents.
Research was conducted among a sample of 8,537 travellers from 17 countries and territories.
Source: Collison