Sports tourism is set to take centre stage at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, as new research highlights the powerful role of major sporting events in reshaping leisure travel demand and driving higher visitor spend across destinations. Scheduled to take place from 4 to 7 May 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2026 will spotlight how sports-led travel is creating significant opportunities for destinations, hotels and tourism stakeholders across the Middle East and beyond.
According to Sports Tourists: Travelling with Passion, a white paper by GSIQ, a global sports and tourism insights agency and official research partner of ATM 2026, travellers who attend live sporting events — defined as those who travel overnight for sporting experiences — spend substantially more per trip than traditional leisure tourists. Frequent sports travellers, the study reveals, can spend up to twice as much per trip, while increasingly seeking premium, high-quality and immersive experiences.
A Rapidly Expanding Global Market
The research underscores the scale of opportunity presented by sports tourism. GSIQ projects a potential 63 per cent increase in the number of people intending to take sports-related trips in the coming years, signalling strong future demand. PwC estimates the Middle East sports tourism market to be worth approximately USD 600 billion, while globally, the segment is expected to exceed USD 2 trillion by 2030, positioning sports tourism as a transformative force within the global travel and tourism industry.
“By understanding the mechanics of sports tourism, destinations and tour operators can develop strategies to drive repeat visitation and attract new audiences,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “Knowing what motivates sports fans to travel is essential for meeting evolving consumer expectations and ensuring sustained engagement in this highly lucrative segment.”
Value, Accessibility and Extended Stays
While passion for sport remains the primary driver, GSIQ’s research highlights that sports travellers’ decisions are strongly influenced by accessibility, affordability, quality and overall value. Around 63 per cent of respondents cited fair ticket and package pricing as a critical factor, particularly among first-time and emerging sports travellers. Notably, only 36 per cent said a destination must already appeal to them, while 41 per cent indicated they would consider extending a sports-focused trip into a longer leisure holiday.
This behavioural shift positions major sporting events as powerful catalysts for destination growth, encouraging deeper exploration, longer stays and stronger word-of-mouth advocacy. Approximately 80 per cent of sports event attendeeseither return to destinations as leisure tourists or recommend them to others, often reporting a more positive perception of locations first experienced through sports travel.
Thought Leadership at ATM 2026
GSIQ will present its findings at ATM 2026 in an exclusive Global Stage session titled “The Power of Sport Tourism: New Audiences & New Revenue.” The session will explore how destinations, hotels and travel businesses can translate sports-driven travel demand into sustainable, long-term tourism revenue.
“Sports tourism is no longer a niche segment — it is one of the fastest-growing drivers of global travel demand,” said Eva Stewart, Global Managing Partner at GSIQ. “Our research shows that sports travellers spend more, stay longer and return more often, making them one of the most valuable audiences for destinations worldwide. With the Middle East rapidly expanding its world-class sporting infrastructure, the region is exceptionally well positioned to capture this growth.”
Aligning with Regional Momentum
The focus on sports tourism aligns with broader regional trends highlighted in the 2025 ATM Trends Report, developed in partnership with Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company. The report notes that destinations across the Middle East are increasingly capitalising on demand for live events, ranging from global sporting tournaments to concerts and festivals.
Building on the legacy of landmark events such as Expo 2020 Dubai and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, momentum is expected to accelerate further as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034, reinforcing the region’s position as a global hub for sports and events tourism.
A Broader Events and MICE Focus
Beyond sports tourism, ATM 2026 will also examine the evolving landscape of events and business travel. The expanded IBTM @ ATM will return as a dedicated hub for business events, corporate travel and experiential design, while the Experience Stage and Global Stage will host high-profile discussions on creativity, immersive technology and changing traveller expectations.
Key sessions include “The New Experience Economy: What Will Make Events Irresistible in 2030?”, which will explore the future of events in the region, and “Decoding Growth: How Hospitality Is Adapting to New Traveller Needs,” focusing on the increasingly multi-motivated nature of global travellers.
“From mega sporting tournaments to world-class cultural experiences, events are enabling destinations to reach new audiences, extend length of stay and accelerate progress toward long-term tourism growth targets,” Curtis added. “The strengthened ATM platform reflects the Middle East’s growing influence and underscores its emergence as one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-developing meetings and events markets.”
As ATM 2026 approaches, the spotlight on sports tourism reinforces its growing role as a strategic pillar of destination development — one that blends passion, performance and profit in shaping the future of global travel.
