How the rise in sports tourism offers rights holders the ability to engage accommodation brands with compelling experiential activations
In recent years, the global sports tourism market has seen massive growth. Valued at $323.4 billion in 2020, it is expected to reach a whopping $1.8 trillion by 2030. The growing popularity of sporting events, expanding venues and rising spectator engagement are all fuelling this surge in sports-related tourism.
One sector set to profit from this boom is accommodation, with companies looking to leverage proximity to sporting venues and offer solutions for travelling fans.
Going one step further, a number of brands have partnered with rights holders to seize this opportunity to generate the ultimate fan engagement by providing unique overnight sporting experiences that appeal to global audiences.
However, the ability to offer ultra-premium fan experience packages which include an overnight stay is an asset that isn’t yet being exploited to its full potential by the majority of brands or rights holders.
There are a relatively small number of hotel x stadium integrations currently in operation and a few are explored below to provide inspiration for others to follow.
Pioneering the segment is Marriott Hotels & Resorts, who originally leveraged its role as an official partner of the NFL to create the now infamous activation dubbed the “Super Bowl Sleepover.” This provides fans a unique opportunity to sleep in a premium hospitality suite at the Super Bowl venue of the year.
Although this began as a one-off activation in 2016, its popularity prompted Marriott to continue with the contest annually, evolving it into a weeklong stay in the host city where guests can attend private concerts and meet some of the NFL’s top players.
Marriott has since expanded the concept into other sports, most recently creating the permanent “Suite of Dreams” at Old Trafford to commemorate Manchester United’s 1999 Champions League winning team. Other notable stadium integrations include a luxury corner suite in Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena and an entire hotel built into the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The blueprint has since been adopted by other brands, with Hilton showcasing its luxury hospitality services to golf fans through its “A Stay on the Green” activation. This allows Hilton Honors members the opportunity to bid to stay on the golf course at major events including the Ryder and Solheim Cups, providing them with unfiltered access to the competition.
Hilton also offers premium hospitality options at its Silverstone location, offering trackside views and a front row seat to an immersive motorsport experience to leverage the prestige of the Formula One British Grand Prix weekend.
Hilton’s prowess also extends to cricket. Through their deal with Lancashire CCC in the UK, the brand created an exciting experiential space called the ‘Hilton Garden Inn Best Beds in the House’. It was ideally located adjacent to the pitch, directly in front of the hotel itself, consisting of a terrace space with four Hilton standard king size beds on show for all to see within the ground as well as those watching live on national television.
In the UK, a number of top soccer clubs have begun to adopt similar-style integrations, such as MK Dons and Coventry City offering pitch-view rooms from in-stadium hotels operated by Hilton. Similarly, Heart of Midlothian and Bolton Wanderers operate club-owned hotels which offer stadium views to add another level to ultra-premium fan experiences.
Ahead of the UEFA Women’s EURO Final 2022, Booking.com created the ‘Pitch View Penthouse’ at Wembley Stadium for a one-night-only sleepover experience for fans. The surrounding campaign partnered with Spice Girl Mel C to drive engagement across numerous platforms.
In Japan, the Es Con Field Hokkaido stadium launched the country’s first stadium hotel last year. This comes complete with a sauna and onsen (bathing facilities) overlooking the field where the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters play – the former team of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani.
With sports tourism projected to grow at 17.5% annually until 2030, and demand for tailored experiences rising exponentially, rights holders have a great opportunity to collaborate with accommodation providers to create new and exciting experiences. These will drive value for all three key stakeholders – themselves, their sponsors and their fans.
If you’re interested in finding more about how caytoo can help connect rights holders with brands, contact us here.
