Brits Reveal the Ultimate Sports Travel Bucket List — You’ll Never Guess What Tops It
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MORE THAN HALF OF BRITS HAVE PLANNED A HOLIDAY AROUND A SPORTING EVENT – WITH THE GRAND PRIX IN MONACO, THE FINAL STAGE OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE, AND THE SUPERBOWL EMERGING AS THE NATION’S DREAM SPORTING BUCKET LIST.
According to UN Tourism, sports tourism is now worth £500 Billion annually, and Brits are big fans, according to new research.
More than half (52 percent) of Brits say travelling to see sport live is one of life’s greatest pleasures, with 36 percent planning a sport related trip this year.
And new research, from luxury hotel chain, Hyatt has uncovered THE sporting events and venues that fans would most love to experience, with the FIFA World Cup final at Wembley (36 percent) topping the list.
Being trackside at the 100m final at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles (22 percent), cheering on the teams at the UEFA Champions League final at San Siro in Milan (percent), watching a World Heavy Weight title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (11 percent) and seeing the final stage of the Tour de France at the Champs-Élysées in Paris (10 percent) were also among the top choices.
And Sports-trippers – people who travel specifically to watch or take part in sporting events – have no problem clocking up the miles to tick off their bucket list. More than one in ten (12 percent) say they would be more than happy to travel 10,000 miles to watch either The Ashes being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground or the world’s best tennis players battle it out at The Australian Open (8 percent).
Trips across the pond also appear regularly in the top 30 sporting event bucket list, with taking in the atmosphere at The Super Bowl final at the AT&T stadium in Dallas (20 percent), seeing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden (14 percent), watching The Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta in Georgia (6 percent), and the Red Sox in Fenway Park, Boston (6 percent) all making appearances.
Revelling in the excitement of live sport (62 percent), supporting your favourite team or athlete (51 percent) and spending quality time with family and friends (35 percent) are the main reasons for travelling to see a sporting event.
But it’s not just watching sports that the nation loves. Nearly two in five (37 percent) admit they love travelling to take part in a sporting event, with four in ten planning more sporting adventures this year.
Over a quarter (27%) of those surveyed plan to take part in a marathon, while almost one in ten (8%) will be taking part in a body building competition.
Michel Morauw from Hyatt, which commissioned the study said: “Sports-tripping is reaching fever pitch, and we’re increasingly seeing more travellers with a passion for building their holidays around watching live sporting events.
“Whether people are discovering a new destination, or revisiting a firm favourite, travelling to watch sporting events offers the perfect opportunity for fans to enjoy a unique event as well as the wider experiences a city has to offer.”
BRITS’ DREAM SPORTING BUCKET LIST:
1. FIFA Men’s World Cup Final at Wembley, UK – 36%
2. FA Cup Final at Wembley, London, UK – 31%
3. Wimbledon Final in London, UK – 26%
4. London Marathon, UK – 24%
5. Summer Olympic Games 100m Final in Los Angeles, USA – 22%
6. Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco – 21%
7. British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit, UK – 20%
8. The Super Bowl at AT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA – 20%
9. UEFA Champions League Final at San Siro, Milan, Italy – 19%
10. Cricket World Cup Final at Lord’s, London, UK – 15%
11. FIFA Women’s World Cup Final at Wembley, UK – 14%
12. NBA Game, New York Knicks at Madison Square Gardens, New York, USA – 14%
13. Rugby World Cup Final at Twickenham, London, UK – 13%
14. The Ashes at Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia – 12%
15. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, UAE – 12%
16. UFC Title Fight at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, USA – 11%
17. World Heavy Weight title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 11%
18. El Clásico match at Nou Camp, Barcelona, Spain – 10%
19. Six Nationals Final at Principality Stadium, Wales – 10%
20. Tour de France Final Stage in Paris, France – 10%
21. Royal Ascot Derby at Ascot, Berkshire, UK – 9%
22. US Open Tennis Final at Flushing Meadows, New York, USA – 8%
23. Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia – 8%
24. French Open at Stade Roland Garros, Paris – 8%
25. Major League Basketball (MLB) Game – Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Boston, USA – 6%
26. The Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, USA – 6%
27. Winter Olympic Games Ice Hockey Final in Salt Lake City, USA – 5%
28. The Open Championship at St. Andrew’s, Scotland – 5%
29. Le Mans 24-Hour Race at Circuit de la Sarth, Le Mans, France – 5%
30. Copa Libertadores Final at the Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 5%
