Elliot Smales of Great Britain competes in the cycle leg of IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella, Spain.
Getty Images for Ironman
According to recent research by Statista, sports tourism is reshaping how and why people travel. The sector was valued at just under $565 billion in 2023 and is projected to surpass $1.3 trillion by 2032. By 2025, it accounted for around 10% of global tourism spending. With these statistics in mind, it’s no surprise that Europe stages more than 30,000 international sporting events every year and channels billions into…