El sports tourism has become another way of traveling that is becoming more and more popular. The forms of tourism have been changing rapidly thanks to globalization, improved communications and lower transport costs, which means that today we have various reasons to visit different places, diversifying the world of tourism much more. Far are group trips planned to be in beach areas or see fixed points in cities.
Today the world of tourism is truly varied and free, there that sports tourism has arisen, a practice that is very interesting and that can become a great motivation to travel. We are going to see what this sports tourism consists of and how we can carry out this type of tourism or where it can be found.
What is sports tourism?
Sports tourism is a type of tourism that focuses on sport. You travel to see a championship or a game. It is also common to travel to do sports, such as taking a specific hiking route or to kite or surf on a beach that is especially good for it. Sports tourism is booming today because it is more affordable to take small trips than years ago. That is why there are many people who travel for a few days to watch a game or to play a sport for simple entertainment. It is another way of looking at travel, focused on a sport that we like and on a hobby. Now the trips go beyond relaxation, escape or cultural visits.
Types of sports tourism
Sports tourism can be of many types. We can go to a mountain area to ski, to go on a hiking route or also go to a marathon in a city, since there are many who are also famous. On the other hand, there are those who carry out sports tourism by attending certain events, especially in soccer matches, as happens in Spain or throughout Europe with events such as the Soccer World Cup or the European Cup.
Run a marathon
There are many areas in which we can run, from ten kilometers to half marathons or full marathons. But some of these marathons, for which hundreds of people are preparing, are really famous. The one in New York is one of them, but there is also one in Boston, Paris or Berlin. These massive events tend to take place in places such as big cities and they are quite an event to which it is quite an experience to join. But you have to be prepared to run the 42 kilometers of the marathon.
Climbing
There are places where those who want to do sports as demanding as climbing, which require a significant level of specialization, go. In Spain we have places like for example the Naranjo de Bulnes, which has a great vertical wall. Other incredible places are Mount Asgard in Canada, in an environment of ice and snow, Yosemite in the United States, with a great stone wall to climb. In Patagonia in Argentina we also find amazing mountains that are the dream of any climber.
Places to ski
In Spain we have great ski resorts, so there is a lot of winter tourism. For example, we have stations like that of Baqueira Beret in Lleida, very famous and exclusive, located in the beautiful Aran Valley. It has up to 160 kilometers of marked tracks. Another ski resort is in Huesca, Formigal, with a great youth atmosphere. Another of the most famous is the Sierra Nevada in Granada, very popular for families. Outside of Spain there are other places like Chamonix in France, Zermatt in Switzerland or in Portillo, Chile.
Sports tourism for surfing
The practice of water sports is widespread and there are places where they can be done almost all year round. In Spain we have places like Mundaka beach in Vizcaya, Pantín beach in Ferrol or Razo in A Coruña, all of them in the north. There are also others located in places like the islands, like El Quemao in Lanzarote. In the south we find places like Cádiz that have many beaches where you can do this type of sports due to their great conditions.
Events and sports tourism
There are some events that are always very famous. The finals of major football matches such as the World Cups or the Cups are events that are played in different places. There's also others like Wimbledon or for example the Tour de FranceIf we like cycling, which can be followed in many areas in France, or the cycling tour of Spain.