Sports and tourism industries to join forces to drive the economic recovery of travel and large events

LAS VEGAS (July 8, 2021)—IPW, the largest tourism trade show in the United States, has selected Global Tourism Sports & Entertainment (GTSE) GTSE to be its first official Sports and Tourism Representation Ambassador. 

In 2020, travel generated $1.5 trillion for the U.S. economy, supporting 11.1 million American jobs despite the devastating decline in travel due to COVID-19. Travel generated $2.6 trillion for the U.S. economy in 2019.

The new partnership is hailed by both organizations as an opportunity to drive a recovery toward travel's pre-pandemic economic impact figure.

“With both transportation and sports news more globalized than ever, the natural intersection between sports and tourism continues to grow, as sports leagues build their fan bases across borders and oceans,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “Continuing that integration makes sense for the development of both economic sectors, and this partnership will be valuable in facilitating that process.

“From its inception, IPW has put a premium on evolving with the times to deliver maximum value to its exhibitors and buyers, and this partnership is a natural outgrowth of that principle,” said IPW General Manager Malcolm Smith. “Boosting sports-oriented representation at IPW can help bring about a new era of cooperation for sports and travel, and we are proud and excited to be able to take this step.”

Why travel matters to the sports industry

• According to the firm PwC: The North American sports market (United States, Canada, and Mexico) totaled $71.1 billion in 2018 and will grow 3.2% annually, reaching $83.1 billion in 2023.
• More than 150 million individuals attended professional sporting events in 2018 across the five major sports leagues.
• And it is not just locals attending sporting events. Whether it is to cheer on your alma mater in the NCAA tournament, attend a large-scale event such as the Super Bowl, soak up some sunshine and baseball during spring training in Arizona and Florida, or even travel to your child's soccer tournament, sports and travel are connected.
• “Migration, tourism and near-universal access to broadcast and social media have unlocked billions of potential fans—but they do not live in your city, and don't necessarily speak your language. The next 10 years will be a gold rush era, as professional teams and leagues race to claim this emerging audience.” The Future of Sports – Futureof.org

Vaccinations continue to advance around the globe, providing a sense of security and desire to want to travel again. Nearly 4 in 10 (37%) of international travelers indicated that they were interested in an NBA, NFL, or MLB experience when visiting the U.S. in 2019, up from 24% in 2018. This translates into nearly 30 million international visitors alone.

Many international tourists travel for the sole purpose of attending sporting events. For example: more than half of South Korean and Mexican travelers are interested in attending a sporting event. Furthermore, a research study conducted by Brand USA indicates that the top two reasons why Mexicans travel to the United States is to attend sporting events and concerts.

 “In an era where so much has deeply divided the world, sports and entertainment is what will bring us together under a common thread. We are thrilled and honored for the alliance with IPW and will put sports at the forefront for the catalyst which will unite us all once again,” said Luisa Mendoza, founder and CEO of GTSE. “GTSE will work with all the major sports teams and leagues to encourage them to attend IPW, which is the largest tourism trade show in the United States.”