Millennials are driving a sports tourism boom — spending big to do it

Vince Nguyen, a 39-year-old entrepreneur based in Vietnam, spends a few hundreds almost every month traveling to other countries to play pickleball.

The sport, which began as a pastime after injuring himself in American football, has since become central to his lifestyle, as he plays it for two to four hours almost daily.

Since he picked up the sport two years ago, Nguyen has played leisurely in Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Canada. Next month, he is planning to head to China for an upcoming tournament.

He says he forks out a few hundreds on round-trip flights to Taiwan or Malaysia for tournaments and leisure play with friends. Additionally, he pays the court fees, ranging from $4 to $8 for open play, and about $38 a night for hotels. In total, the trips cost him between $386 to $772.

However, he spends almost $1,000 when traveling to Canada, where flights and indoor courts are pricier than in Asia.

“I like to spend a week … playing a few times, checking out different courts, going to different restaurants,” he said.

Nguyen believes traveling to play pickleball makes a difference as “every country has a little bit different style” in playing the game, and he is not alone. He is one of the many millennials that are fueling a rising trend in travel: sports tourism.

According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report, which polled over 14,000 travelers across 14 countries, about 67% of millennials have planned a trip for events related to their interests, including sports, wellness and concerts.

In the U.S. alone, millennials are 80% more likely to plan a vacation for tennis and 87% for pickleball, according to a survey by online travel agency Priceline on travel trends in 2025.

And there are no signs of the sports tourism slowing down. The sports tourism industry is already a $707.29 billion market and is forecasted to nearly triple by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Europe leads the market with a valuation of $248.23 billion last year. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific has been marked the fastest-growing region, anticipated to be worth $149.50 billion in 2025.

Sports tourism in Asia-Pacific is projected to have a compound annual growth rate of 17.85% from 2025 to 2032.