2026 is a bumper year for sport and it kicks off with the Winter Olympics, taking place in Milano-Cortina in February. But our global consumer travel tracker, TACTIQ, reveals that it’s not just athletes getting ready for the Games – unprecedented numbers of sports fans are also dusting off their thermals for a trip to Italy.

TACTIQ covers ten markets globally, drawing data from the world’s biggest sources of tourists including the US, UK, Germany, India, China, Brazil and France. With sports tourism such a large and growing part of the travel economy, we track intent to visit a wide range of sports events – including the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

How many travellers plan to visit the Winter Olympics?

Globally, as much as 16% of travellers hope to visit the Winter Games, putting it behind only the FIFA World Cup in the year ahead. Unsurprisingly, Italians are most likely to say they plan to visit Milano-Cortina but the event is also popular among Brazilians, Indians and Chinese.

While the overall number may seem high, it shouldn’t surprise us that travel for sport is so popular. UN Tourism estimates that around 10% of the global tourist economy is now based on sport and that that is likely to grow annually by 16% to 2030. In short, sports tourism is booming.

So what of our Winter Olympics travellers? Well, TACTIQ reveals a great deal.

The evolution of the sports tourist

Many of them are interested not just in the Olympics but in sports events generally. They are most interested in also attending the FIFA World Cup in US/Mexico/Canada in June but the LA28 Summer Olympics, UEFA’s Euro 2028 and FIFA’s Women’s World Cup (2027) are also on their to-visit list. What we are seeing is a growing group of consumers who are working sports events into their vacation plans.

Nearly half of those intending to visit the Winter Olympics already have a track record in this respect. 46% have previously travelled and spent at least one overnight to watch pro sport recently, while around a quarter have done so to spectate amateur sport or play/participate in an event (22% and 26% respectively).

With growth like this, the market for sports tourists is only going to become more competitive. So aside from the sport itself, what else are our Winter Olympic travellers looking for?

What are sports tourists looking for when it comes to a trip?

More than half expect a good meal – 56% say restaurants form an important part of their trip experience and, with Milan, they’re in luck. The city has around 20 Michelin-starred places and, having just checked, the three-star-rated Mudec still has tables available in February!

But aside from the sport and a good meal, it looks important that destinations have more to offer. Our Milano-intenders also prioritise relaxation (for example a swim, a spa or a beach), culture and exploration. Live music and nightlife are perhaps more surprising expectations – but then then 40% of those who plan to visit the Winter Games are aged 34 or under and only 11% are 55 or older. Either way, the data shows strong signals for visitor economy uplift beyond the sports venues.

There’s also good news for destinations without high levels of traditional urban hotel room inventory. Our travellers have a wide range of preferences when it comes to accommodation. Only 44% like a city hotel room, with 39% expressing a preference for hotel apartments. A third (30%) like a short-term rental, while cruise ships, campsites and even hostels all feature too. Resorts remain popular (33%), as is staying with friends.

How to market to sports tourists

For those marketers looking to create a niche in sports tourism, we also uncovered an interesting insight into how these travellers plan and research their trips.

Our Winter-Olympics intenders are 63% more likely to use AI tools and apps to plan their sports trips than the general public. They are also significantly more likely to take tips from social media and to use travel blogs and vlogs (435 vs. 30% and 40% vs. 25% respectively). And while this is a group of connected, tech-savvy travellers, they take their cues from multiple traditional sources too, including agents, travel books and friends and family. These are people who listen, watch and read about their next trip from practically every source they can find.

TACTIQ can be incredibly useful at identifying these little nuggets, as well as the macro trends across the industry. To book a demonstration or simply chat to someone friendly about travel, please just drop me a line.

GSIQ Tourism Insights – Global Tourism, News, Insights

Explore our dedicated Tourism Insights page and discover how we’re shaping the future of global tourism.