Sports Tourism - A second look
Another Ironman in Cebu. Another opportunity to promote sports tourism as an industry that can grow even more. What impact does the Ironman bring to Cebu (and the country)? How serious is Cebu about sports tourism? How is the country treating sports tourism as an industry? How far has sports tourism developed in the country? These were among the random thoughts that we processed while attending the 14th Asian Association for Sport Management Conference that’s ongoing at the De La Salle University. The three-day conference tackled various topics and featured topnotch speakers from the country and abroad. The event’s theme was “Developing & Discovering the Sport Industry Potential for Asia.”
Prof. Munehiko Harada of the Waseda University in Japan talked about Sport Tourism – The Sleeping Giant. He said sports tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in Asia that has a tremendous economic impact on any town, city or place. He simplified the definition of sports tourism as having people travel for sports. No more. No less. From the looks of it, it sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But has the country embraced this potential “sleeping giant?” Harada’s first case study was a surprise to us. He presented the experience of a river in Japan that was quiet, calm and untouched until it was converted into a venue for river rafting years ago. The place has developed into a full-blown facility and has hosted a world rafting championship. This came as a surprise since I was always thinking about traditional and mainstream sports when discussing sports tourism. Harada then naturally asked, “Doesn’t the Philippines have an abundance of natural resources?” The answer from the crowd was both obvious and a sigh of “Sayanga oi.” We’re not even talking about the Ironman here, are we? Harada added the city where river rafting was developed is now a booming place where complementary businesses have bloomed. The river facility itself employs a lot of trained/qualified personnel. With hundreds of people visiting the city for river rafting, hotels, lodges and inns were set up. Transportation services have also thrived while restaurants are busy feeding all those tourists. Other businesses that clicked included travel agencies, insurance providers and airline companies that fly in all those tourists. The pleasant surprise about this simple case study is that this isn’t about the usual sports event that we watch. Instead, it’s a town that has become a tourist destination, making it a year-long economic wonder. It’s another option that the country can consider on top of the hosting of sports events. What can we do in Cebu with our beaches, mountains/hills, waterfalls and cliffs?
The other side of sports tourism is the traditional hosting of international of national sports events that draw crowds of athletes and fans combined. Countries like Japan and Singapore established sports commissions with the purpose of organizing sports events. Singapore alone has already hosted some of the world’s top events, from Formula 1, golf, the Youth Olympics, tennis, rugby, MMA, football, running (marathon), extreme sports and more. Japan also has its share for sports events that might double that of Singapore. Sports events also bring in revenues to a place similar to how the river rafting phenomenon delivered for Japan: accommodations, transportation, food, bars, shopping and other services. This brings me to ask what else we can do for hosting in the country. The SBP worked hard to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023. I’d like to believe that the previous hosting of the 2016 Olympic Qualifier Tournament, FIBA 3X3 World Cup and the FIBA Asia Cup of 2013 served as mere rehearsals for the World Cup. We’re also hosting the Southeast Asian Games in 2019. The key to these events is the drive to bring in not only athletes from abroad but also fans who will watch these events. I can’t help but cite the recent FIFA World Cup that brought thousands of football fans to a dozen cities of Russia for a whole month and extra days. I can’t wait to hear the post-event reports on how much the World Cup boosted the economy of Russia.
The key here for sports tourism to click is for organizers to make the event a win-win scenario for the sport, its sponsors and the fans. Everything has to click: the way the games are played/managed; the way transportation is readily available for the fans; the hospitality at hotels; the good food that is served at restaurants; the good service at malls and shopping centers; the help of the local government; and the reception of the local people. When all these are in place, you have an event that can’t fail (win or lose). And when all events are treated this way, you’re sure that more events are guaranteed to come our way.
So what will it be Philippines? Can we seriously give sports tourism a second, third and fourth look?
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