Sports Tourism first off the blocks as WTM looks ahead to next 30 years

As 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, gathered in London to celebrate 30 years of World Travel Market, Sports Tourism emerged as the clear front-runner to guide the industry round the corner of economic downturn and into a prosperous future.

Through a series of specialist events, seminars, press briefings and media launches, Sports Tourism took take centre stage at the 4 day event in London.

As the industry now looks ahead to next year’s World Sport Destination Expo (WSDE) – the world’s first global sport tourism exhibition dedicated to the travel and tourism’s fastest growing sector – WTM acknowledged WSDE’s role in manoeuvring sport tourism in to the spotlight.

Professor Tim Coles, who opened WTM’s Sport Tourism Conference, quoted WSDE’s findings and research.  Alongside a distinguished panel which included 2010 FIFA South Africa CEO Danny Jordaan, 2010 Winter Olympic VP Susan Iris and London 2012 Games Director Mark Howell, Professor Coles cited WSDE in declaring: “Sports tourism is the sleeping giant of the global travel and tourism industry.  Worth an estimated $600 billion dollars - this is not a niche market but rather a significant part of the global market.”

At WTM’s Opening Ceremony, Mayor of London Boris Johnson looked to the 2012 Olympic Games as the biggest positive change to London in more than 70 years.  As well as providing the catalyst for social, urban and economic regeneration, Johnson looked beyond the short term citing how the tourism benefits brought to London by the Games will benefit the capital for years to come. 

Elsewhere, Korea Tourism Organisation’s new President and CEO Charm Lee jetted in to unveil an unrivalled sport tourism programme which is set to cement Korea’s status as a sports business super-power; India Tourism threw its considerable weight and support behind next October’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi; Poland and Ukraine mapped out a tourism strategy around the co-hosting of the Euro Championships and WTM resonated to the sound of traditional vuvuzelas as South Africa starting the celebratory road towards arguably one of the most important events that the world will ever stage - the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

South Africa Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, said: “The World Cup affords us a once-in-a-lifetime chance to showcase the best we have as a tourism destination.”

Now South Africa’s travel and tourism industry is geared up to join other national pavilions at WSDE which is seen as a key platform for South Africa to create a lasting tourism legacy from the success of the World Cup.

Lindiwe Mahlangu, CEO of Johannesburg Tourism Company said “WSDE will change the landscape of sport tourism industry.  By bringing together all the key buyers and suppliers of sport tourism around the world, WSDE will overnight become one of the most important international events in the travel calendar and undoubtedly the sports tourism event of the decade.”