Cities Leaning into Sports Events

November 6, 2025

Sports events are a big business — one that more cities are working to attract as part of their overall group business strategy.

With sports-related travel and tourism now estimated to have a $114 billion economic impact, it’s no wonder that more convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are prioritizing sports tourism, leveraging major events to extend economic impact beyond traditional conventions. Sporting events are a natural complement to a city’s group business strategy as they often require the same sorts of infrastructure, logistics and long lead times as traditional conferences.

Not only does hosting high-profile competitions bring in athletes and fans, but it also can draw associated conferences and supplier meetings, further expanding group business opportunities for local venues and hotels. It also helps CVBs and DMOs to diversify their group business, filling hotels during off-peak seasons and leveraging sports events to compensate for excess convention center space in some cases.

U.S. Rowing Southeast Regional Champions, the Sarasota Crew train at Nathan Benderson Park.

And it’s not just the high-profile events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, coming to Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, and the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games coming to Los Angeles. For example, Sarasota, FL, is touting its Nathan Benderson Park for rowing regattas. Newer sports such as e-gaming, pickleball, and BMX also are expanding the range of events CVBs and DMOs have on hand when it comes to broadening their market reach.

The competition among communities to secure sports events is rapidly intensifying, compelling CVBs to enhance their sports tourism presence and invest in new event initiatives. Some destinations are so fired up about sports events that they are forming dedicated sports commissions or allocating staff to bid for sporting events, from international tournaments to amateur and multidisciplinary competitions.

Cities like Ottawa and Birmingham have publicly aligned their focus on winning major sporting events and establishing sports divisions within their CVBs to capitalize on this synergy. Philadelphia, which in addition to hosting some 2026 FIFA World Cup events also has landed the MLB All-Star Game and the Army-Navy Cup, has a dedicated team in its PHL Sports division specifically to garner more sports events.

Philadelphia is one of 11 cities in the U.S. to host World Cup matches in 2026.

The reasoning behind all this activity is not hard to fathom. Sports tourism has become a major economic force, with recent studies showing significant increases in direct spending and broader economic impact. Sporting events attract thousands to millions of visitors who spend on hotels, restaurants, transportation, retail and entertainment. Whether it’s families attending a youth tournaments or fans coming to town for a major sports event, sports events visitors generally spend substantial funds going to restaurants, shopping and staying at area hotels.

More spend equals more local employment opportunities as well, in everything from tourism to event management to retail to security. When they land one of the larger global events, cities also often invest in upgrading their sports facilities, public amenities and transportation systems, generating construction jobs. While the construction jobs may be temporary, they can leave a legacy of improved infrastructure for future sports events and for residents to use year-round.

Landing a major sports event also can put host cities on the global stage, increasing their visibility, reputational prestige and appeal to future tourists, meeting organizations and investors. Just as meetings can lead to future tourism growth by exposing attendees to the local attractions, sports events also can lead to sustained tourism growth even after the event is over.