DreamSetGo, India’s premium sports experiences and travel platform, unveils the first edition of its year-end sports wrap-up report – DreamSetGo’s Sports Travel Index 2023. In 2023, DreamSetGo facilitated over 7500+ sports travelers across 14 global sporting events, a 30% increase since the pandemic. This indicates an increased appetite amongst sports travel and luxury experiences. ‘Revenge travel’ is a key factor to this demand. The insights are based on DreamSetGo’s booking and demand data between January 2023 – and December 2023.

An interesting trend is an increase in demand from Tier-II cities for outbound sports tourism. Dominating the booking landscape was Mumbai followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune and Jaipur.

Sharing insights on the growth of the sports tourism industry in 2024, Monish Shah – Founder & Chief Business Officer said, “Post the pandemic, sports tourism has emerged as the first sector within tourism to recover. Sports travellers now constitute 10-12% of the entire outbound travel market, a notable increase from the mere 5-7% five years ago. Based on the current consumer sentiment, we anticipate 200% growth in the premium sports travel segment in 2024, mainly led by mega sporting events such as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”

He adds, “India’s journey towards becoming a global sports powerhouse is well underway. With continued government and acceleration by the private sector, India is poised to emerge as a major player in the international sports arena. While cricket remains a dominant force, India is witnessing a surge in interest in outbound international sports like football, rugby, golf, kabaddi, badminton, and basketball. As we step into 2024, we’re extremely excited to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences to Indian sports travellers access to top sporting events worldwide.”

DreamSetGo caters to a wide range of inbound and outbound sports experiences worldwide. With nearly 60% of sports travellers opting for packages, the Cricket World Cup emerged as the top in-demand sporting experience in 2023. This was followed by Tennis Grand Slam events (16%), Motorsport races (12%), Domestic Cricket events (8%), and Rugby World Cup (4%). Currently, the average length of a traveller’s experience is in the range of 4 days/nights.

Top Sporting Experiences worldwide based on Indian sports traveller intent

The rise of the luxury Indian consumer and growing disposable incomes has accelerated the growth of the outbound sports tourism segment at an unprecedented rate. This year, hospitality tickets topped the charts as the most coveted offering by DreamSetGo. Legend meet and greets came a close second, followed by exclusive experiences such as high-tea with Sourav Ganguly at the Lord’s Stadium, private yacht dinners with Brett Lee, and luxury accommodations.

The big question: Who consumes sports travel in India?

Post-pandemic, millennials underwent a generational shift, prioritising experiences over ownership. This reflects in the uptake of luxury sports travel experiences. In 2023, the typical age of a sports traveller with DreamSetGo ranges between 35-50 years. Focusing on exclusive experiences, this demographic prefers personalization of travel with an ever-increasing focus on hospitality and experiential travel, with access to premium events such as the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

There are no sports without sportspersons. As per DreamSetGo’s booking data, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Neeraj Chopra, Rohit Sharma, Mary Kom, PV Sindhu and Harmanpreet Kaur continue to capture the hearts of Indian sports fans.

Based on the booking analysis, in 2023, the UK topped the charts as the most booked global sports destination, followed by Paris, Abu Dhabi, Singapore & Baku. Based on current consumer interest, DreamSetGo anticipates the USA, the Caribbean, and Australia are likely to popularise in 2024, especially as these countries look to develop their sporting tourism properties.

Looking Ahead – Where does the future lie?

The upcoming year promises to be a bonanza for sports fans. As per the company’s internal demand insights, major events like the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and the India vs Australia cricket series are expected to drive significant demand.

Displaying a strong sense of nationality, interest in events within the Olympics where Indian athletes have a chance to qualify for a podium finish has witnessed significant demand. In order of popularity, multi-sports athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, and wrestling witnessed significant uptake this year. With demand building up, the number of travellers from India to the Olympics is projected at approximately 5000+ individuals. Top in-demand services include matchday hospitality, breakfast with champions, and legend meet & greets.

Reflecting internal portfolio analysis and diverse interests from Indian sports fans, Cricket continues to command the lion’s share of demand and interest at 60%, followed by Motorsports (12%), Tennis (16%), Domestic Cricket Events (8%) and Rugby (4%).

With sports tourism emerging as one of the fastest-growing segments, the global tourism industry is currently undergoing a remarkable shift. While traditional tourism sectors are experiencing modest growth, sports tourism is exploding at a frantic pace. Projected to reach $2.14 trillion by 2030, the industry is growing at a phenomenal 17.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

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