Ardent sport fans travelled to France to support the Australian Olympic team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Photos: Supplied.
Sports tourism is gaining global momentum, and Australia is not going to be left behind. We are a nation of sports lovers. Four in five (80 per cent) Australians agree that sport is a significant part of the Australian ethos.
Sport is widely believed to be integral in defining the Australian identity. Australians have a remarkable and enduring affection for sport — loving to both play and watch. Australians are avid spectators of many games and codes, both in large numbers at the grounds and via broadcasts. Major sporting events captivate global audiences and create shared experiences that transcend borders and cultures.
In fact, Australia takes the rostrum as the fifth sportiest country, grabbing the top trophy for having the highest sports participation rate out of any country in the world. That’s according to a personal trainer certification website study by PTPionner.com.
By definition, sports tourism is a type of tourism activity which refers to the travel experience of the tourist who either observes as a spectator or actively participates in a sporting event generally involving commercial and non-commercial activities of a competitive nature.
A keen Australian philanthropist and former wheelchair tennis and basketball player, Dylan Alcott concisely sums up the sentiments behind Australia being an enthusiastic sporting nation: “Australians don’t just love sport … we’re downright obsessed with it.” So absolutely true!
So much so, that about 90 per cent of Australian adults participate in sport at least once a year. According to figures from the Department of Health and Aged Care, around 13.5 million adults and 3.6 million children take part in sport each year. More than three million Australians volunteer in sport and active recreation each year. There are also lasting health benefits of exercise and physical activity. In addition, sport has wider social and economic benefits.
The NRL and NRLW Grand Final returns to the Accor Stadium in Sydney on Sunday 6 October.
Airlines and travel agents, in particular, reveal that between five and 10 per cent of travellers favour sports travel, choosing to attend national and international sporting fixtures, both as contestants and spectators.
One case in point was the success of the 2024 Olympics in France last month, an event filled with raw emotion, sporting greatness and many incredible moments. The Paris Tourism Authority recently estimated 11 million visitors on the ground for the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee stated Paris 2024 went down in history for its stunning venues in the heart of Paris and across France, their focus on sustainability and legacy, and the record-breaking performances by athletes from the territories of 206 National Olympic Committees and the Refugee Olympic Team. It was the very first Olympic Games with full gender parity. Paris featured 19 days of competition, 32 sports/48 disciplines and 35 competition venues.
The Australian Olympic Committee said more than 460 Australian athletes competed for medals in 329 events. There were 9.5 million spectators, and 10,500 competing athletes.
Back home, for footy fans it doesn’t get much better than watching your favourite team take home the trophy while the packed-out stadium roars with celebration. Get in on the action in Sydney with the NRL Grand Final or join the football comradery down in Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final.
The 2024 Repco Bathurst 1000 returns to Mount Panorama from 10-13 October.
The NRL Telstra Premiership attracts about three million people to its matches each year with more than 100 million viewers on television. It’s estimated more than 100,000 people turn up to watch the AFL Grand Final every year.
Undeniably, the country’s big-name events attract serious crowds. The Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix boasts celebrity status, high-speed racing and suave supercars. When it comes to ocean yacht races, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race takes the cake as one of the most popular – and exciting – in the world. Kick off the new year with the Australian Open.
There are countless ways you can immerse yourself in Australia’s core sporting values, with unique experiences to be found across the country, and overseas.
It’s a rite of passage to attend a sporting match in Australia. Sport is not just a pastime – it is in Australia’s DNA. The atmosphere is always electric – from world-class athleticism and cheering crowds to the smell of pies and hot chips! Australians, proud of their fervent, green and gold spirit, don’t wait for the exhilarating, once-a-year events to get among the action. Instead, sport is infused in the local lifestyle on a daily basis.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s going to the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the rugby league in Las Vegas in 2025, a World Cup match or to see a few mates playing cricket on the beach … sport in Australia is seriously good fun!
