Thousands of people travel abroad each month to attend the biggest events around the globe. World renowned music festivals, classic match-ups in the world of soccer, major league sports finals, and rare performances by music legends are among the events drawing the most international pull.
Ticketbis.com, a Spanish ticketing platform present in more than 40 countries, has provided cross-border ticket sales data from the last 3 years in order to show the latest trends influencing the tourism sector. As represented in this visualization , there is a significant portion of people traveling with the purpose of attending major events at their destinations. Between 2012 and 2013 international ticket sales on the Ticketbis platform increased by 53.16% and between 2013 and 2014 they increased by 61.75%. Events tourism is evolving every year at the hands of the ticketing sector.
According to the study, the US presents itself as the top destination for tourists who wish to attend major events, mainly within sport, music and theater. Year after year, the Superbowl, NBA finals, and Broadway musicals are the most sought after events among foreigners visiting the country. This trend suggests that tourists are showing an increasing interest in those sport events that are typically enjoyed by Americans.
Among the most prominent music events in the last three years we find Roger Waters, founding member of Pink Floyd, who sold almost half a million tickets for the nine shows he performed in Bueños Aires, Argentina 2012 for his The Wall Tour, and the Rolling Stones who brought together more than 60,000 fans in one concert alone in Hyde Park, London in 2013. AC/DC, U2 and Rihanna also hit record breaking sales figures in their last tours.
Regarding sport events, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the Asian Games which took place in Incheon, South Korea, were the most sought after international championships of 2014
Unsurprisingly, soccer is the sport category drawing the highest numbers of international attendees within Europe. Premier League matches, especially those played by top-tier clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are the events preferred by U.S, Asian and Latin American tourists who have traveled to the continent.
Champions League, the most prestigious European soccer championship where the four best teams from each national league confront each other in the hopes of earning the reputable honour that comes with winning, is growing in popularity outside of Europe each year. It looks as though travelers are attending major events abroad as it provides an outlook and experience which is not captured simply by conventional sightseeing.
