Sports Tourism Generates $274.5 Billion as Las Vegas Hosts Industry Conference

The Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA) has released its 2026 State of the Industry Report, marking the first-ever unified analysis of both participatory and spectator sports tourism. Destination leaders have been advocating for years that sports tourism contributes significantly to our economy in America, as these findings indicate.

The findings show that sports tourism has now become a $274.5 billion industry, with a total economic impact of $111.2 billion spent directly, 1.6 million people employed, and $20.5 billion in state and local tax revenues generated throughout the country. In total, 339 million sports travelers generated 124.3 million room nights.

"Sports tourism has firmly established itself as one of the most powerful economic engines in the United States," said John David, President & CEO of Sports ETA. "With $274.5 billion in total economic impact, millions of jobs supported, and hundreds of millions of travelers moving through communities each year, the scale and influence of this industry is undeniable. For the first time, this report captures that full impact in a unified way, bringing together both participatory and spectator sports to tell the complete story of how sports tourism drives visitation, fuels local economies, and creates lasting value for destinations."

Participatory sports tourism contributed $60.1 billion in direct expenditures and $149.1 billion in total economic impacts to the economy, with more than 227.6 million people traveling for sports participation, supporting an estimated 880,000 jobs and generating $11.3 billion in local/state tax revenues. Spectator sports tourism contributes significantly to these overall totals, demonstrating the role each segment plays in generating travel demand throughout the year.

International sports tourism rose 3.4% from 2024 to 2025, with 3.6 million international travelers visiting the United States for sports and generating $6.3 billion in direct spending, a notable gain at a time when broader inbound travel to the United States declined.

Las Vegas, rebranded by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority as the "Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World," served as the backdrop for the findings. Sports ETA's annual Symposium at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas drew nearly 1,200 attendees, the highest in the association's history, including sports associations, event planners, and event rights holders.

The report identifies Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Georgia, Illinois, and North Carolina as leading states in sports tourism performance, reflecting strong infrastructure, population scale, and the capacity to host both participatory and spectator events. The findings come as the United States prepares to host a decade of landmark global events, including the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.