BEYOND THE STADIUM: HOW HOTELS CAN WIN BIG IN THE SPORTS TOURISM BOOM

By Ben Thomsett, Marketing Manager, Hudini

2025 has been a blockbuster year for global sporting events in the Middle East. From the Asia Cup cricket clashes in the UAE in September, the Qatar Grand Prix in November followed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, the Abu Dhabi Championship golf in November with the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the week after, to the T100 triathlon and Dubai Premier Padel P1 in November, the calendar has been full with headline events. Add to that the return of European soccer leagues after the summer, the game is on.

For hotels, this isn’t just game season. It’s a golden opportunity. Sports tourism already accounts for 10% of global tourism spending, a staggering $560 billion in 2023, and is projected to double by 2032. Fans don’t just travel to watch games; they extend trips, explore cities, dine out, and celebrate victories long after the final whistle. The real prize for hoteliers lies not only in selling rooms, but in upselling experiences that keep guests engaged before, during, and after the action.

Understanding the sports traveller

Unlike traditional leisure tourists, sports fans often plan trips around specific fixtures, but what they do off the field is just as valuable. Expedia’s latest study shows that:

• 62% of sports trips last between 2–6 days, and nearly one in five travellers stay a week or longer
• Over 50% of sports fans spend significantly on ancillaries, while cultural preferences vary: Japanese tourists lean toward sightseeing, Germans toward history, and younger travellers toward wellness and adventure
• On average, travellers spend $1,500 per trip, with nearly a quarter of that reserved for activities outside the stadium

The implication is clear: fans may come for the match, but hotels that fail to extend the experience risk losing wallet share to restaurants, bars, and online platforms.

Why upselling matters more than ever

Upselling isn’t about pushing extras, it’s about anticipating what guests already want and making it easy to say “yes.” After all, when fans fly halfway across the world for a tournament, they’re primed to spend on memorable experiences.

Consider three phases of the journey where upselling makes the difference:

• Pre-arrival
• Offer packages like “Match Night Dining Deals” or “City Sightseeing + Stadium Shuttles”
• Highlight communal match screenings for guests without tickets, complete with bundled food and drink offers
• In-stay
  1. Trigger real-time offers: “Celebrate the win with 20% off cocktails in the lounge”Push personalised recommendations based on guest demographics and country of origin on hotel apps
• Simplify bookings through mobile apps for spa, transport, or dining reservations
• Post-stay
• Keep the fan relationship alive with loyalty offers tied to future tournaments or repeat matches

Hotels that master these touchpoints not only capture incremental revenue but also deepen guest loyalty, converting one-time visitors into lifelong fans.

How technology brings this to life

Here’s where digital guest platforms, like ours at Hudini, change the game. By blending personalisation, real-time engagement, and seamless booking, hotels can transform upsell opportunities into frictionless experiences.

• Pre-event engagement
  Imagine a fan in Dubai ahead of the India–Pakistan cricket clash. Hours before the game, they receive a push notification on the hotel App for “Match Day Brunch” at the hotel’s rooftop bar, complete with shuttle booking to the stadium. For those without tickets, the App promotes a live screening in the lounge with a Burger & Drink Combo.
• Post-event opportunities
  As the final whistle blows, the App nudges guests with a timely “Celebrate the win with cocktails in the lobby bar” offer. The next morning, another notification highlights a “Recovery Spa Package”, perfectly timed for fans who partied late into the night.
• Personalisation at scale
  The technology to drive personalisation at scale is already available. For example, Hudini’s AI-driven engine ensures offers resonate with different guest segments: food & beverage packages for groups of friends, sightseeing bundles for families and spa recovery packages for the night owls. Multilingual support ensures no fan feels left out, no matter where they’re from.
• Frictionless execution
  Crucially, all of this happens within a few taps. Guests can book, pay, and confirm instantly via the app, in-room tablet, or even the TV.

In short: technology ensures that upselling doesn’t feel like selling, it feels like service.

Beyond the stadium: Capturing the real goldmine

Sports tourism is no longer niche; it’s mainstream, global, and growing fast. For hoteliers, the opportunity is not simply to provide a bed for the night, but to become the hub of the fan experience.

Those who can see beyond the stadium, those who curate dining, wellness, cultural, and celebratory touchpoints around the big match will be the ones to unlock the true value of this booming market.

With smart upselling powered by digital AI-powered guest engagement platforms, hotels can score bigger than ever, not just during this sports season but for every one that follows. An omnichannel solution that unifies guest touchpoints and channels, spanning mobile, web, in-room tablets, and IPTV, lets hotels anticipate guest needs and deliver the right offers at the right moment. By staying connected pre- to post-stay, hotels that think beyond the stadium can become genuine experience hubs, turning fans into loyal brand advocates.