As the tourism market has grown, a more complex and sophisticated type of tourist consumer has emerged, seeking more than just a sun, sand and sea holiday package, resulting in ever more diverse ways for tourists to spend their leisure time. This rapid evolution of ever more varied tourism activities is one of the main catalysts for the rise in popularity of sports tourism in recent years. When categorising sports tourism, the WTO identifies two distinct categories: active participation in tourist sports and the passive role of the sports spectator.

The development of tourist sports (sporting activities) in order to attract visitors to a destination has become an increasingly common part of tourism development strategies around the world, and undoubtedly has an important role to play in the tourist industry. This report gives a brief overview of participant-based sports that are emerging around the world, before concentrating on some of the major sporting events of the last decade and their effect on tourism