Sports ETA - The association's "State of the Industry" study presented in Las Vegas shows U.S. sports tourism delivered a total economic impact of US$ 274.5 billion in 2025, with direct traveler spending, jobs and tax receipts driving the figure.
- In short: Sports tourism generated US$ 111.2 billion in direct visitor spending and supported about 1.6 million jobs, underlining the sector's growing weight in the national economy.
Understand the dynamics behind the US$ 274.5B
The report attributes much of the total to traveler outlays: US$ 111.2 billion in direct spending helped sustain roughly 1.6 million jobs and produced US$ 20.5 billion in state and local tax revenue. The study also counted 339 million sport-related travelers and 191.8 million hotel nights, including 3.6 million international visitors who contributed US$ 6.3 billion directly.
These patterns are consistent with broader travel-sector recovery: U.S. Travel Association data show strong demand in recent years, reinforcing opportunities for destinations that capitalize on event-driven visitation.
"International sports tourism represents one of the most significant opportunities for the next decade," said John David, president and CEO of Sports ETA. "Destinations that think globally and act strategically will be positioned to attract new visitors, generate new revenues and gain greater visibility on the world stage."
Context and impact: participants, spectators and mega-events
The association broke down the audience: participant travelers—those competing or practicing sports—accounted for US$ 60.1 billion in direct spending and an economic impact of US$ 149.1 billion across 227.6 million people, supporting more than 880,000 jobs and US$ 11.3 billion in state and local taxes. Spectators contributed US$ 51.1 billion in direct spending and US$ 125.4 billion in impact, with 111.4 million traveling fans sustaining over 730,000 jobs and US$ 9.2 billion in tax receipts.
The analysis also flags major events as accelerants. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to draw between 1.3 million and 3 million international tourists and potentially up to 10 million visitors to host cities, while organizers reported that 5 million of the 6.5 million publicly available tickets had been sold roughly 50 days before kickoff.
What do you think? Will your city benefit from this sports-driven growth? For more details, check out our sports section.