Sports Tourism

The sports tourism market in India is expected to reach a projected revenue of appx US$ 133,351 million by 2030. A compound annual growth rate of 19.3% is expected of India sports tourism market from 2024 to 2030 as the market has grown significantly in the last five years. 

Indian sports authorities encourage a variety of sports such as track and field events, hockey, football, cricket, kabaddi, basketball, shuttle badminton, volley ball and tennis to name a few.  Of late Kabaddi, IPL league, BPL league, Tennis tournaments, Football, Cricket tournaments were held in India which attracted several sports enthusiasts. Games like Taekwondo, Judo, Fencing, Table Tennis are becoming popular.

India is known for polo and Jaipur is known as the polo capital of India. hosting many polo  events each year.  River rafting is popular in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Kullu Manali, Rishikesh, and Yamuna River are popular destinations for river rafting. The Andaman Islands are a popular destination for scuba diving. 

Thousands of foreign tourists visit India for participating in sports and to watch matches and tournaments as also to explore the country.  

Indian Sports Tourism has tremendous prospects as increasing number of people watch sports as well as indulge in sports and track events which shows that people are more interested in sports tourism field. To encourage grass root level development, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Sports Development Authority of India finds young sports talents by conducting short duration camps and groom them to participate in games while providing the required infrastructure and certain benefits for the sports persons. Film fraternity, corporates are involving in developing sports and they also conduct few tournaments which develops the brand image of sports and the country. Media coverage is being carried out for the big tournaments, which indirectly helps sports tourism. Top cricket stars and film star now own the kabadi, shuttle badminton and cricket teams. 

There are challenges too affecting sports tourism, such as lack of sports infrastructure for some games, sponsorship, sports kits, good grounds and lack of institutional support. However, many initiatives have been taken to address this critical issue with the active involvement of government and private sector, collaborations with travel, hospitality and other stake holders and service providers.   

In Alain de Botton’s contemplative exploration of travel, The Art of Travel, he posits that “our journeys extend beyond mere physical movement. Travel, is an opportunity to encounter unfamiliar landscapes, both external and internal. It allows us to escape the mundane and engage with the extraordinary. …. `these travelers are not merely chasing scores or cheering for their favourite teams; they are also on a quest for meaning. The roar of a stadium crowd becomes a universal language, transcending linguistic barriers. The adrenaline rush of a last-minute goal or a photo finish connects them to a collective human experience’. 

It is this spirit of sporting experience that we wish to propagate among sports persons, sports lovers and enthusiasts in India and abroad.