Five trends every sports tourism leader should be watching.

The Sports ETA State of the Industry Report gives our industry something invaluable: perspective.

The numbers tell an important story—measuring economic impact, participation trends, visitor spending, and the overall strength of the sports tourism economy. But perhaps even more valuable than the statistics themselves is what they reveal about where our industry is headed.

While every destination, rights holder, and event organizer will interpret the data through a different lens, several clear themes emerge—trends that have the potential to shape investment decisions, event recruitment strategies, partnerships, and long-term planning.

The State of the Industry Report isn't a roadmap—it’s a compass. It won't predict every turn ahead, but it can help point your organization in the right direction as the industry continues to evolve.

Here are five takeaways every sports tourism leader should be thinking about.

1. Sports Tourism Has Become Essential Economic Development Strategy

For years, sporting events were often viewed as exciting additions to a destination's calendar—a way to generate hotel stays and fill weekends.

Today, they're increasingly recognized as economic development assets capable of driving investment, supporting local businesses, generating tax revenue, and strengthening communities.

The report reinforces that sports tourism has become a significant contributor to local economies, supporting businesses, generating tax revenue, creating jobs, and driving investment in facilities and public infrastructure.

That shift changes the conversation. Rather than asking whether sports tourism deserves investment, many communities are beginning to ask how they can maximize its impact.

As expectations grow, sports tourism professionals will increasingly be called upon to demonstrate not only visitor spending, but also how events contribute to broader community goals.

Sports tourism isn't simply filling hotel rooms—it's helping communities build stronger economies.

Put It Into Practice

As you prepare stakeholder presentations, think beyond attendance and room nights. How does sports tourism support your community's long-term vision?

2. The Most Competitive Organizations Are The Most Informed

As sports tourism becomes more competitive, organizations need more than experience and instinct to make decisions.

They need data.

One of the clearest signals from this year's report isn't found in a single statistic—it's found in the report itself. Expanded destination benchmarking, rights holder profiles, and deeper market insights reflect an industry that's becoming increasingly data-driven.

Organizations today have access to more information than ever before. The competitive advantage no longer comes from simply collecting data—it comes from knowing how to interpret it.

Destinations can use benchmarking to identify opportunities. Rights holders can better evaluate potential host markets. Industry partners can make smarter business decisions based on broader industry trends.

Put It Into Practice

Evaluate your event recruitment strategy. Are you pursuing events because they're available—or because they're the right fit for your destination?

3. Collaboration Is a Competitive Advantage

Sports tourism has always been a team effort.

From destinations and rights holders to venues, hotels, sponsors, governing bodies, and community partners, successful events depend on organizations working toward a common goal. The 2026 State of the Industry Report reinforces just how interconnected those relationships have become—and how the benefits extend far beyond the competition venue.

Visitor spending supports local businesses, generates tax revenue, strengthens tourism economies, and creates ripple effects throughout the community. As expectations continue to grow, organizations that can clearly communicate this shared impact will be better positioned to build support, secure investment, and attract future events.

That's why collaboration is becoming one of the industry's greatest competitive advantages. Shared data creates a shared understanding of value, helping partners align around common goals and make stronger decisions together.

Put It Into Practice

Think about your current partnerships. Are you using industry research to demonstrate shared value and strengthen conversations with stakeholders? Are your discussions focused solely on what your event needs—or on what it can create for the entire community?

4. Long-Term Strategy MUST Replace Short-Term Thinking

Successful organizations don't simply react to opportunities. They prepare for them.

The State of the Industry Report highlights trends that can help shape decisions about event recruitment, facility development, marketing investments, and long-term organizational priorities.

The State of the Industry Report highlights trends that can help shape decisions about event recruitment, facility development, marketing investments, and long-term organizational priorities.

Should your destination pursue larger national championships or continue building a portfolio of regional events? Is now the right time to advocate for facility improvements? Are participation trends creating opportunities in sports you haven't traditionally targeted?

These are the types of strategic conversations the report is designed to support.

Put It Into Practice

During your next planning meeting, identify one trend from the report that should influence your organization's priorities over the next three to five years.

Start by asking:

• Which trends are most relevant to our destination?
• What opportunities are emerging?
• Are today's priorities preparing us for tomorrow's industry?

5. Better Questions Lead to Better Decisions

One of the greatest strengths of the State of the Industry Report is that it doesn't tell organizations exactly what to do.

Instead, it provides the insights needed to ask better questions. The report encourages organizations to move beyond asking:

"How many events did we host?"

Instead, it challenges leaders to ask more strategic questions:

• Which events create the greatest long-term value for our destination?
• Where should we invest next?
• Which emerging sports or participation trends deserve our attention?
• Are we measuring what matters most?
• How can we better communicate our impact to stakeholders?
• What partnerships should we strengthen to maximize community impact?

The organizations that thrive over the next decade won't simply be the ones collecting data. They'll be the ones using that data to ask better questions, identify new opportunities, and make more informed decisions.

As your organization begins planning for the future, use the State of the Industry Report as more than a reference guide. Use it as a conversation starter. Challenge your team to think critically about where your destination is today, where the industry is headed, and what actions will position your organization for long-term success.

The future of sports tourism won't be shaped by organizations that simply read the data. It will be shaped by those that use it to make smarter decisions.

Explore the 2026 State of the Industry Report, discuss its findings with your team, and start building a strategy that's informed not only by where the industry is today—but where it's going next.