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2026 global sports events calendar
3Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Calendars, Editor's Pick, Events

2026 global sports events calendar

The 2026 global sports calendar is packed with exciting events that promise unforgettable moments for fans worldwide. The year’s marquee line-up begins with the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Milano-Cortina, showcasing elite winter sports competition in February. Following the winter sports showcase, the stage is then set for one of the biggest events of the year: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June to July, which will feature an expanded 48-team field and captivate billions worldwide. Seasonal staples also return: the NFL Super Bowl, Uefa Champions League final, golf's Masters, the Wimbledon tennis grand slam, the Tour de France cycling race and more, ensuring continuous elite competition from January through December.  ...
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2026 travel trade events and conferences calendar
1Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Calendars, Editor's Pick, Events

2026 travel trade events and conferences calendar

In this month-by-month calendar, we take a look at the upcoming travel and tourism industry events and conferences for 2026. Travel trade events play a vital role in shaping the future of global tourism. These gatherings bring together key stakeholders, including airlines, hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, and technology providers, to network, share insights, and discuss emerging trends.  Major events like World Travel Market (WTM) in London, ITB Berlin in Germany and Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai are prime examples of platforms where professionals can forge partnerships, explore new markets, and showcase products. These conferences often set the stage for important agreements, such as destination marketing initiatives and technological solutions to enhance travel exp...
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Five Iron Golf: Dubai’s best sports bar to watch live sport in 2026
30Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Venues & Stadiums

Five Iron Golf: Dubai’s best sports bar to watch live sport in 2026

Five Iron Golf is redefining the sports bar experience in Dubai, establishing itself as one of the city’s top venues to watch live sport. From football, golf and Formula 1 to UFC, rugby and major international tournaments, fans can expect unbeatable views of the action thanks to 50 high-definition screens spread across the venue, a buzzing atmosphere, and premium F&B options that elevate every matchday.  Located at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, the flagship venue spans more than 32,000 square feet, making it the largest Five Iron Golf in the world. Its scale and design allow fans to enjoy live sport from every angle – whether relaxing in Five Iron's modern gastropub, the Dirty Birdie Sports Bar & Social, settling into the restaurant area, or bookin...
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A day in the sporting life of Somabay
22Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Editor's Pick, Guides, Holidays & Trips, Hotels & Resorts

A day in the sporting life of Somabay

Have you ever dreamed of experiencing life as a professional athlete? Follow in Ramy Salameh's footsteps and travel to Somabay, a premier sports tourism destination on Egypt’s Red Sea featuring world-class facilities. Imagine a day which starts by watching an ATP tour tennis tournament and ends on horseback viewing the sun melt below the Red Sea Mountains. And in-between getting to play a nine-hole Par 3 golf course, snorkel above a family of turtles gliding passed a coral reef, before slipping into the Red Sea’s only Thalasso Tonic seawater-based therapy pool to pummel your every sinew into a more relaxed state. This was a day I experienced during a stay in Somabay, one of the most beautiful peninsula’s on Egypt’s dazzling Red Sea coastline and one which continues to e...
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‘Enormous potential’ for new Triathlon World Tour launching in 2027
14Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Business

‘Enormous potential’ for new Triathlon World Tour launching in 2027

The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon (TRI) have announced they are to build on their successful T100 partnership with the unveiling of the new Triathlon World Tour. Launching in 2027, the Triathlon World Tour will combine the existing T100 Triathlon World Tour, a rebranded World Triathlon Championship Series and World Triathlon Cups.  The T100 Tour will be rebranded as the T100 World Championship Series. The World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) will be rebranded the T50 World Championship Series and a newly-formed feeder series will be branded a ‘Challenger’ series. Combined across the different distances and two competition levels – World Championship and Challenger – the Triathlon World Tour will grow to approximately 100 events per year from 2027,...
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Sports travel bucket list: exploring Stockholm Archipelago on two wheels
14Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Bucket List, Holidays & Trips

Sports travel bucket list: exploring Stockholm Archipelago on two wheels

Home to 30,000 islands and islets, Stockholm’s archipelago is a unique mix of nature and culture – which makes it an ideal addition to any sports travel bucket list. Saddle Skedaddle’s new seven-day, self-guided cycling holiday hops between islands by ferry and bike to explore a landscape shaped by land and sea. Starting in Sweden’s capital Stockholm – a city built across 14 islands and connected by a network of bridges – the riding begins with a relaxed spin around Royal Djurgården, a leafy island right in the heart of the city. After travelling by ferry to Bogesundslandet, peaceful forest tracks, gravel tracks and quiet roads lead the way to the harbour town of Vaxholm, often referred to as the ‘capital of the archipelago’. There’s a choice of two different routes on the ride to Fa...
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Sports travel bucket list: Traws Eryri mountain bike holiday in North Wales
14Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Bucket List, Holidays & Trips

Sports travel bucket list: Traws Eryri mountain bike holiday in North Wales

Following the Traws Eryri Cycling UK route, Saddle Skedaddle’s new seven-day guided mountain bike holiday in Eryri National Park covers some of the best off-road trails North Wales has to offer. Starting with a loop ride on Mach Trails, riders follow a mix of steep gravel climbs and flowy single-track descents, while taking in sprawling views over the Plynlimon mountains. Riding deeper into the heart of North Wales, an alpine-style singletrack road leads up the historic Ffordd Ddu to uncover views of Barmouth Bay as Eryri National Park comes into view.  Crossing the Grade II-listed Penmaenpool Toll Bridge across the River Mawddach to the lower Wynach Valley, gravel tracks take riders to the remote lake of Llyn Cwm-mynach. The route then jumps off the official Traws Eryri route to e...
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Sports travel bucket list: Loch Ness and Great Glen Way walking holiday 
14Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Bucket List, Editor's Pick, Holidays & Trips

Sports travel bucket list: Loch Ness and Great Glen Way walking holiday 

Self-guided walking holiday specialist Inntravel has launched a number of new European itineraries for 2026, ranging from the wild atmosphere of Loch Ness in Scotland to the Prosecco Hills of northeastern Italy.  Among the other introductions for the year ahead are Spain’s oldest National Park, the wild Picos de Europa, and its ‘Green Coast’, and a single centre walking holiday in the whitewashed fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell on the quiet side of the Costa Brava.  In this new addition to the sports travel bucket list, we look at Inntravel’s walking holiday to the most famous glen and loch in the Scottish Highlands.  Loch Ness and the Great Glen Way  Explore both shores of Loch Ness on this self-guided holiday based at a stylish four-star hotel in Fort Augustus. The ren...
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Doha and Forte Village win sports tourism categories at World Travel Awards 2025
14Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business

Doha and Forte Village win sports tourism categories at World Travel Awards 2025

Qatar’s capital city Doha and Italy’s renowned Forte Village Resort emerged as major sports tourism category winners at the World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2025, held in Bahrain. For the third year in a row, Doha was crowned the World’s Leading Sports Tourism Destination, reaffirming Qatar’s position as a powerhouse for world-class events, state-of-the-art venues and year-round sports programming. From hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 to becoming a hub for athletics, tennis, golf, and motorsport, Qatar has successfully leveraged sport as a cornerstone of its visitor strategy. The win highlights Doha’s continued investment in next-generation infrastructure and its commitment to positioning the Gulf state as the premier global home for major international competitions, traini...
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Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics to drive €5.3bn economic impact in Italy
4Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Business

Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics to drive €5.3bn economic impact in Italy

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are set to become one of the most powerful tourism and economic catalysts in Italy’s modern history, with new analysis revealing that the Games will generate €5.3 billion in value for the Italian economy. The findings, published by Banca Ifis, highlight a three-tier economic surge driven by tourism, visitor spending and major infrastructure legacy. The bank forecasts €1.1bn in direct expenditure during the Games period, including hospitality, food and beverage, retail, transport and on-site visitor services. A further €1.2bn is expected to flow into Italy within 12-18 months after the Closing Ceremony as travellers return or extend their trips, signalling long-tail tourism growth well beyond the competition fortnight. Most impactful of all is t...
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153rd Open at Royal Portrush: a £280m economic impact for Northern Ireland
3Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Events, Sports Business

153rd Open at Royal Portrush: a £280m economic impact for Northern Ireland

Golf's Open Championship has reaffirmed its status as one of the world’s most powerful drivers of sports tourism, with the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush generating £89.2 million in total economic impact for Northern Ireland, according to a study by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sports Industry Research Centre. Causeway Coast and Glens alone benefited by £43.7 million, underscoring the Championship’s transformative effect on host destinations.  Beyond visitor spending, the global visibility of the golf major delivered a further £191 million in destination marketing value, driven by worldwide broadcast coverage, digital platforms and extensive online media reach, as reported by YouGov.  The Open’s spectacular return to the iconic Causeway Coast drew a record-breaking 278,000 specta...
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Sports travel bucket list: ultimate basketball fan experiences with NBATrips
30Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Bucket List, Holidays & Trips

Sports travel bucket list: ultimate basketball fan experiences with NBATrips

For basketball lovers, few experiences compare to stepping onto an NBA hardwood, tightening your laces, and running a full 5-on-5 game just hours before the pros take the floor. Yet this is not an unrealistic bucket list item, it’s the signature experience delivered by luxury basketball travel company NBATrips. Over the past four years, NBATrips has rapidly evolved into a global leader in high-end NBA travel experiences. Drawing fans from more than 20 countries – including, for the first time this season, the United States – the company offers immersive, meticulously curated journeys built entirely around the world’s greatest basketball league. Each seven- to 10-day adventure caters to around 50 guests and centres on three to five NBA games in iconic hoops destinations such as Los Angel...
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FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035: a potential UK sports tourism blockbuster
30Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Editor's Pick, Events, Sports Business

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035: a potential UK sports tourism blockbuster

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have formally launched a joint bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035, positioning the tournament as the biggest single-sport event ever staged on UK soil – and a potential blockbuster for sports tourism across all four nations.  Under the “All Together” bid banner, the four football associations are proposing 22 stadiums across 16 host cities, with FIFA expected to trim that list to around 14-16 venues should the bid be successful. The tournament – expanded to 48 teams – would feature 104 matches over 39 days, with organisers targeting 4.5 million ticket sales and a global TV audience of 3.5 billion. It would also be the UK’s first World Cup since 1966, giving a new generation of fans the chance to experience a global finals on home tu...
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Amdavad in India to host Centenary Commonwealth Games 2030
30Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Editor's Pick, Events, Sports Business

Amdavad in India to host Centenary Commonwealth Games 2030

The Indian city of Amdavad, also known as Ahmedabad, has been formally named as the host city of the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030. The decision confirms that the world’s most populous nation will stage the landmark edition of the Games, after delegates of the 74 Commonwealth member nations and territories ratified India’s bid at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow. India presented a compelling vision for the 2030 Games, centred in the Gujarat city of Amdavad, which will build on foundations laid by Glasgow 2026.  Jaismine Lamboria, world champion boxer from India, said: “It truly is a proud moment to see India become the host of the Centenary Commonwealth Games. Amdavad will give athletes and fans a very warm and vibrant welcome, and having the opportunity...
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World Rugby and Emirates extend record-breaking partnership to at least 2035
30Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Sports Business

World Rugby and Emirates extend record-breaking partnership to at least 2035

World Rugby and Emirates have announced a landmark multi-tournament partnership, the biggest, longest and most wide ranging in the history of rugby union’s global governing body. Strengthening a long-standing relationship that will run through to at least 2035, the renewal cements Dubai-based airline Emirates as a World Rugby Platinum Partner and Principal Partner of the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups for the next decade.The expanded agreement covers every Rugby World Cup through 2035, including the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups in Australia in 2027 and 2029, the 2031 and 2033 editions in the United States, and the men’s Rugby World Cup 2035, which is already attracting strong early interest from prospective hosts. The deal also includes all global qualifying events, embedding ...
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PGA Tour 2026 calendar marks 20th year of golf’s FedExCup
22Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Calendars

PGA Tour 2026 calendar marks 20th year of golf’s FedExCup

The 2026 PGA Tour men's golf season is set to deliver one of the most globally compelling and competitive calendars in recent memory, showcasing a seamless blend of tradition, innovation, and world-class destinations. The 2026 Tour marks the 20th edition of the FedExCup. Tee­ing off in January under the Hawaiian sun, the season charts a dynamic journey through iconic American courses, coastal classics, and major metropolitan stops – each offering its own drama as players battle for FedExCup points and season-defining moments. A highlight of the year once again comes from the sport’s four men’s majors, with the Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, and The Open Championship anchoring the heart of the season and drawing global attention from millions of fans and sports travellers.  ...
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HSBC SVNS 2026 calendar revealed with New York making series debut 
22Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Calendars, Events

HSBC SVNS 2026 calendar revealed with New York making series debut 

World Rugby and USA Rugby, in partnership with TEG Rugby Live, have confirmed New York City as the host for the US leg of the HSBC SVNS Series from 14-15 March 2026 at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Featuring the top eight men’s and women’s rugby sevens nations, the new-look HSBC SVNS will host its season opener in Dubai (29-30 November 2025) before heading to iconic global cities including Cape Town, South Africa (6-7 December 2025); Singapore (31 January-1 February 2026); Perth, Australia (7-8 February 2026); Vancouver, Canada (7-8 March 2026) and New York, USA (14-15 March). The SVNS World Championships will then have three events, in Hong Kong (17-19 April 2026); Valladolid, Spain (29-31 May 2026); and Bordeaux, France (5-7 June 2026). New York’s vibrant culture, renowned skyline, a...
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Dubai unveils ambitious playbook to become the world’s top sporting city by 2033
22Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Editor's Pick, Sports Business

Dubai unveils ambitious playbook to become the world’s top sporting city by 2033

Dubai has set out a bold roadmap to become the world’s leading sporting city with the launch of the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033 – an ambitious framework aimed at boosting the emirate’s global standing in elite competition, community sport and the fast-growing sports tourism sector. Unveiled by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the strategy outlines a comprehensive vision centred on competitiveness and sustainable industry growth, all while significantly expanding Dubai’s position as a magnet for international sporting events and visitors. At a launch ceremony held at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex, Mansoor bin Mohammed affirmed that the plan “enhances the sector’s competitiveness, creates new opportunities, nur...
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Sports travel bucket list: horse trekking into Mongolia’s untamed wilds
22Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Bucket List, Holidays & Trips

Sports travel bucket list: horse trekking into Mongolia’s untamed wilds

For travellers seeking a truly off-grid adventure, World Expeditions’ newest experience – the Central Mongolia Horse Trek Expedition – is one to add to your sports travel bucket list. Launching in June 2026, this remote expedition blends endurance travel, cultural immersion and wilderness exploration, offering an extraordinary chance to retrace the ancient riding trails of the Mongol Empire.  Spanning sweeping steppe, forested valleys and rugged mountain passes, the journey takes travellers deep into the Khentii Mountains, birthplace of Genghis Khan and heartland of Mongolia’s nomadic civilisation. This is a region where roads fade into rivers, where horizons seem endless, and where the horse remains central to daily life.  Across multiple days of point-to-point riding, guests p...
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Sports travel bucket list: a ski touring weekend in Norway’s Lofoten Islands
22Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments
Bucket List, Holidays & Trips

Sports travel bucket list: a ski touring weekend in Norway’s Lofoten Islands

With travellers already mapping out their 2026 ski escapes, Norway has emerged as one of the world’s trending luxury destinations – ranking third among the “on the rise” hotspots in the 2026 Virtuoso Luxe Report.  As active travel continues to surge, a new ski touring weekend in the Lofoten Islands by high-end Norwegian travel brand Norrøna Adventure is the kind of bucket list experience drawing global attention. For sports travellers seeking pristine slopes, rugged landscapes and authentic Nordic culture, this four-day journey offers a rare chance to ski where mountains meet the sea. Set for 12-15 March 2026, the experience in northern Norway blends world-class ski touring with the storied charm of Henningsvær, a fishing village known for its colourful houses, artistic heritage and ...
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