SINGAPORE, September 17 — The story of the modern sports tourist begins long before the starting lights go out. It starts, increasingly, with a passport, a booking and a decision to build a trip around a race. New data released this week by Visa, drawing on its Global Travel Intentions study of more than 17,000 travellers across Asia-Pacific, puts hard numbers behind what destinations have suspected for years.
A majority of respondents — 54 per cent — say they intend to travel specifically for sports events. That intent climbs among affluent travellers, at 67 per cent, and among Gen Z, at 62 per cent.
Danielle Jin, chief marketing officer for Visa Asia Pacific, said roughly 65 per cent of the most-searched travel dates and destinations for 2026 line up with major global sports competitions, the FIFA World Cup among them. Visa has served as the official payment technology partner for the World Cup since 2007 and also backs Formula 1 and the Olympics.
What the Singapore race week showed
For a clearer picture of what that appetite looks like on the ground, Jin pointed to VisaNet data from last year’s Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. Travellers from Australia, China, Indonesia and the US accounted for more than 40 per cent of all traveller spending during race week. Two groups drove the surge.
Affluent travellers made up around 30 per cent of visitors into the city during the 2025 night race but generated 40 per cent of total spending. Business travellers arrived in force too — business cardholder arrivals rose by around 80 per cent during race week, while their spending increased by approximately 170 per cent, a pattern Jin tied to the rise of business-leisure, or “bleisure,” travel.
The wider city felt it. Travel into Singapore during race week grew by around 25 per cent compared with a typical week, and spending rose by about 45 per cent. Night-time spending alone grew by more than 90 per cent, a boost that flowed to restaurants and entertainment outlets.
The festival around the race
At its heart, the Singapore phenomenon is about more than the cars. The festivalisation of sporting events — the carnivals and concerts wrapped around the competition itself — is proving just as influential as the sport. Jin told TTG Asia that sports fans who venture overseas are travellers too, and that a parallel pattern is emerging across Asia-Pacific: a surge in travel for music and entertainment.
Visa research found 65.7 per cent of consumers in the region intend to travel for global concert tours. Sporting events with festival elements, she said, represent a convergence of passions that delivers a win-win for both the destination and the sport.
From a tourism standpoint, Jin added, festivalisation broadens the appeal of an event well beyond the sports fan. A wider mix of entertainment and lifestyle experiences can draw a more diverse traveller base, encourage longer stays and create deeper connections with visitors. Sporting events, she said, act as a gateway for fans to explore more unique local experiences in the cities they visit.
The numbers suggest they take that gateway seriously. According to Visa intelligence, 49 per cent of travellers enjoy learning about host-country cultures through major tournaments.
Around 53 per cent expressed interest in beach or resort holidays, 40 per cent in outdoor activities, 33 per cent in museums and galleries, and nearly half in exploring local culture.
Why it matters beyond the circuit
UN Tourism has described sports tourism as a “fundamental axis” with the ability to “promote social, economic and environmental action” and to “leave a long-lasting positive legacy” on communities. Its Sports Tourism Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report estimates the sector generates around 10 per cent of the world’s expenditure on tourism, with an estimated growth rate of 17.5 per cent between 2023 and 2030. That is the backdrop against which destinations and hospitality companies are now building their calendars.
The race is the hook. The spending, the longer stays and the repeat visits are the prize.
For Singapore, the next test comes when the Grand Prix returns. Watch whether the bleisure segment holds its momentum, and whether the night-time economy keeps converting a three-day race into a week-long stay.
