AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST TO BECOME MAJOR SPORTS TOURISM DESTINATION BY 2020

NTERNATIONAL BOXING FEDERATION AFRICA (IBF/AFRICA) – THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 05, 2013, DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Long cherished by adventure travelers as the home to World's most spectacular and fabled tourist attractions such as Giza pyramids, Serengeti Plains, Cape Town & Cape Peninsula, Maasai Mara, Okavango Delta, Yas Island and The Corniche, Kruger National Park, Sossusvlei, Paga Slave Village, Moremi Game Reserve, Mount Kilimanjaro, Salanga Slave Market, and the western world's most preferred destination, AFRICA and MIDDLE EAST region  is blessed with diverse natural settings and poised as the "Sports tourism" potential by 2020.

 

"Sport tourism" defined as “all forms of active and passive Involvement in sport activity is the emerging economies to many a developing countries hence AFRICA and MIDDLE EAST region. The Travel Industry Association of America (2003) estimated that in a year’s time, over 50 million adults in the United States traveled 50 miles or more to attend organized sport events, competitions, or tournaments as either spectators or participants.

Therefore "Sports tourism" is a multi-billion dollar business and one of the fastest developing areas out of the $4.5 trillion global travel and tourism industry. It’s an international business attracting wide range of media coverage, investment, as well as political interest, travelers and sports fans

Growth in Sport Tourism Forecasts

Source: WTO (World Tourism Organization)

  

Basing on the above forecast chart, "sports tourism" in AFRICA and MIDDLE EAST region is the fastest growing industry worth millions of US$ so, a continent of estimated 1 Billion people famous for its hospitality industry and most lovely people in the world has the capability of becoming the “Sports tourism” destination.

As the above forecast chart shows, "Sports tourism" market is worth well over US$100 billion. These data indicate that over ten percent of the estimated 2 Billion sports stakeholders travel annually overseas for leisure purpose and love spending money on sports.

Home to millions of sports stakeholders with a fast growing economies, AFRICA and MIDDLE EAST region can become world's top sports destination and perhaps only second to the USA and Europe if those responsible can focus on potential the continent has.

It is these elements of growth that is attracting tourism industry stakeholders in AFRICA and MIDDLE EAST region  to include  "Sports tourism" to the category of special interest tourism that will be further developed and promote in a bid to attract both domestic and foreign tourists.  There is no doubt that the number of sports tourists to AFRICA and MIDDLE EAST region  would multiply soon as many regular tourists would enjoy spending money to watch sports/boxing during their visit to the continent. Tourist entrepreneurs thinks that "Sports tourism" is a niche that has high yield market if properly developed and managed.

With its IBF/Africa headquartered in the Commercial Capital of Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, AFRICA and MIDDLE EAST region has a charming demeanor to host major Sports particularly professional boxing tournaments.