Sports Inspired Travel: The Olympics

Skeleton Racing at Bear Hollow, near Park City, Utah

2008 has been a banner sports season with the nail biting Tiger Woods win to Michael Phelps record-breaking gold medal Olympic performances. These types of wins not only encourage and inspire amateurs to follow in their footsteps, but they also stir the interest in traveling to the destinations athletes’ use as their backdrop.

The Olympics help create interest and demand for a venue, as illustrated in PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) Global Entertainment & Media Outlook: 2008-2012 (GEMO) report. Overall global sports market gate revenue totaled $38.8 billion in 2007 and is forecasted to be $51.2 billion by 2012. The 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics, London’s 2012 Summer Olympics and Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics are credited with boosting gate revenue and further effecting growth in sports market.

The GEMO illustrates that the United Kingdom (UK), which was a $10.2 billion dollar sports market in 2007 is expected to surge to $15.8 billion by 2012. Furthermore, analysts predict that $70 million will be added to Canada’s gate revenue total.

One tour company that created Olympic inspired packages to China resulting from this summer’s games was Inside Sports & Entertainment Group (ISEG). Debra Swersky, ISEG’s marketing and events manager, says “Many of our clients wanted to make an entire trip out of the experience since they were traveling so far for the games.”

With the diverse sporting events locations’, Swersky explains that some of the logisticst were complicated. “Soccer was being played in a variety of locations, including Shanghai, and the equestrian games were being held in Hong Kong. Several smaller groups decided to catch a soccer match in Shanghai, and a horserace in Hong Kong before heading over to Beijing to watch the spectacular Opening Ceremonies,” she says. “The Beijing leg of their journeys also included the swimming 400 IM race where Michael Phelps took home the gold (one of eight), the men’s and women’s all-around gymnastics events, and the USA vs. China basketball game.”

Aside from Olympic event tickets, Swersky says ISEG’s clients’ packages included a accommodations in each city, airport and event transfers, a bilingual guide in their travels, reservations at some of the top restaurants in Beijing, and spa treatments.

“A couple of our clients opted for a meet and greet (an add-on) with track star Allyson Felix in the Olympic Village. She is one of several athletes who we were able to coordinate this type of experience with,” she added.

ISEG has already started receiving requests for travel to Vancouver to experience the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Even for those travelers interested in reliving an Olympic experience, many locations re-use its Olympic venues as tourist locations. One such example is in Salt Lake City, Utah, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Those adventurous travelers can take their turn on the bobsled (even in summer months), participate in a beginners camp for ski jumping or the luge. Visitors can even attend the Alf Engen Ski Museum and 2002 Games exhibit.

Have you attended any Olympic games or have you visited Olympic venues post-event?

Photo courtesy Utah Office of Tourism