Travelbeat Inside Information Sport Tourism - WSDE 2010 In 2008 the world’s travel and tourism generated approximately US$5,890-billion of economic activity. With the contribution of travel & tourism to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expected to rise from 9.9% in 2008 to 10.5% by 2018, the next decade will see tourism revenues exceeding US$10,000 billion. Sports tourism is at the heart of this growth and as the fastest growing sector in the global travel and tourism industry, accounted in 2008 for an astonishing US$600-billion or +10% of the international tourism market. The economies of cities, regions and - in the case of attracting mega events such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup - entire countries are increasingly reliant on combining sport and tourism to jump start economic and socio-economic change. Tourists engaged in sports tourism are high-spending, stay longer than other tourist categories, are high-calibre and often stimulate other tourism. Their direct benefit to a destination is cash - their indirect benefit can be years of follow-on tourists. Barcelona doubled its number of tourists in the 10-years following the 1992 Olympic Games and other cities in Spain also benefited from a knock-on effect. Barcelona has since become the sixth most attractive European city to locate a business, rising from 11th place. Sydney generated L1.2-billion additional business following the 2000 Olympic Games. Tourism has dramatically increased and media coverage to the value of an astonishing L2.5- billion was achieved. South Africa’s Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, cites the 2010 FIFA World Cup as the key to return South Africa to its pre-recession tourism high. He said construction linked to the World Cup would contribute R50-billion to the economy, while tourism would generate a further R15-billion, with 3.5-million fans expected to attend the tournament. Foreign arrivals would also receive a huge boost with 450,000 fans expected in the country. "The World Cup affords us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to showcase the best we have as a tourism destination," said Mr van Schalkwyk A recent study by commissioned by the Brazilian government, showed that the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio will provide a boost of more than $24-billion from 2010 until 2027. The 2016 Olympics and 2014 FIFA World Cup will also provide Brazil with a platform in which to attract foreign investment. Brazil's economy is currently the tenth largest in the world - and predicted to be fifth by 2016. Sport tourism is now a tool to make and achieve many things - to generate significant revenues, create thousands of new jobs, regenerate urban infrastructure, and to develop or reappraise entire destinations. World Sport Destination Expo (WSDE) is the first global business forum dedicated to showcasing the full spectrum of sport tourism related products and services. The landmark exhibition and conference programme will give centre ground to the most rapidly growing sector in the global travel and tourism industry. At a time when some traditional tourism trends are in decline, sport tourism continues to flourish - currently worth an astonishing $600-billion a year - and is set to grow exponentially in the next decade. Yet the complex mechanics of sport tourism has not yet been fully understood or realised. World Sport Destination Expo will present the first opportunity for the sport tourism industry to come together, not only to conduct real business deals and source new contacts and markets, but also to gain invaluable insights from the advanced knowledge of market leaders. Co-located alongside the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg, the world’s most sought after sporting destinations, bidding cities and nations, resorts and hotels, tour operators, specialist event organisers, sporting bid committees, financial investors and elite buyers will meet to showcase their capabilities and sell and sign new contracts over 5 dedicated business days - July 5-9, 2010. World Sport Destination Expo attendance is strictly by VIP invitation and only qualified industry buyers, sporting bodies and leading suppliers will be permitted to attend the business to business days - July 5-7, 2010. Invitation on July 8-9, 2010 will be extended to the wider sport tourism industry and pre-selected AB consumers. The venue for World Sport Destination Expo will be the Sandton Convention Centre - Southern Africa’s international leading and most prestigious, multi-purpose exhibition and convention centre. As well as playing host to World Sport Destination Expo, the Sandton Convention Centre will be home to the FIFA World Congress and the 2010 VIP Sports Lounge, as well as being located close to the FIFA Media Centre - the hub for the attending 22,000-plus media. (World Sport Destination Expo) Back to Front Page