Sports Tourism Sports tourism, including related recreational tourism, is increasing in popularity. Sports tourism includes both spectator and participant activities and attractions. The Travel Industry Association reports that more than 75 million U.S. adults traveled 50 miles or more to sporting events over the past five years. Hawaii is an established sports destination in a number of areas including the Honolulu Marathon, the Ironman Triathlon, the NFL Pro Bowl, the Aloha and Hula college bowls, and a host of PGA events including the Sony Open. The publicity and media exposure surrounding such major events is of enormous value to general tourism promotion and the increasing prestige of the events.
Recreational tourism overlaps with sports enough that joint marketing is feasible.
Golf is the leading recreational activity for visitors, although opportunities exist to attract niche markets for surfing, sports fishing, diving and tennis as well. The HTA Tourism Strategic Plan stresses development of 'life style' sports, which are participant-oriented and can be pursued over a lifetime. Running, swimming, cycling and golf are prime examples. The Tourism Strategic Plan notes that Hawaii has developed an extensive infrastructure of high technology, which could serve as the basis for a techno tourism niche market. These and other technology resources could be coupled with conferences and symposiums to form the nucleus of the techno-tourism niche, according to the strategic plan.