After almost a year and half of the pandemic taking shape, air travel restrictions are slowly relaxing across the world – thanks to vaccination drives and greater awareness. With this is mind, there is no better time to travel, after having spent majority of the past year or so in lockdowns and amid travel restrictions.
Sports fans have been treated with non-stop events since the start of 2022 and this might be a good incentive to travel – if not to see your favourite sports teams, then at least to travel and experience sporting destinations in their raw self. Sports have the ability to bring people together, irrespective of race, gender, language or any other factor, and sports tourism has grown exponentially in recent decades.
Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash
These are some of the top sporting destinations in the world that you will want to cross off your checklist:
- London, England
London is one of the fanciest sports destinations in the world, let alone Europe. England’s vibrant capital city is a sporting hub – home to more than ten top professional football clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Fulham etc. and also home to the legendary Lords cricket stadium, which any cricket fan would love to visit. The Wimbledon tennis championships are held in London every now and then in June. The city is also famous for its equestrian history as horse racing is a much enjoyed sport among Londoners.
- Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is an extremely large mega polis that embodies a cultural richness like no other mega city. For a sports fan, Tokyo is nothing short of exciting. The city brims with sporting excitement as football, baseball and various other sports are extensively practised. Even though the USA comes to people’s minds when one mentions baseball, the Japanese seem to enjoy it more. There are also traditional sports such as sumo wrestling and martial arts that one can enjoy and even take part in across the city.
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio is a football fan’s dream destination. Brazil’s largest city by population is home to the world-famous Maracana Stadium, one of the largest football stadiums in the world that is called by many as the cathedral of world football due to its enormous size and priceless history. One can head to the many picturesque beaches in the city, one of them being the famous Copacabana, and enjoy beach sports – of which football is the unsurprisingly the most famous. If you get bored, you can always head to Sao Paulo to experience a different side of Brazil.
- New York City, USA
The city that never sleeps, New York City is a multicultural hub that is rivalled by few. The vibrant mega city is home to some of USA’s most famous sports venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Barclays Center, Shea Stadium and a host of other world-class venues. The city is an absolute treat for American football fans but it caters to every kind of sports fan due to its diverse outlook. From experiencing baseball at the Yankee Stadium to enjoying the US Open and NBA matches, New York City is the place to be.
- Paris, France
Although sports is not the first thing that comes to mind when one imagines of a trip to Paris, the city is famous for its rich sporting heritage – especially in cycling. The Tour de France is an unmissable spectacle that brings in crowds from all over the world, just like football. With its flagship Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain club having the likes of football stars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Sergio Ramos, the city is likely to draw in thousands of people. And of course, if not for sporting reasons, there is so much to see and do in Paris.
- Milan, Italy
Milan’s rich sporting culture has witnessed decades of revamp and resurrection, just like the Renaissance. The city is home to two world-famous football clubs – AC Milan and Inter Milan and their majestic San Siro stadium that has wowed visitors since time immemorial. It also hosts the famous Formula 1 Autodromo circuit, where the Italian Grand Prix is held each year in September. Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello is just a three-hour ride away if you wish to witness the legendary automobile manufacturers’ exploits in racing.
All of the aforementioned sports tourism destinations possess a charm of their own and one can head to either just one or multiple ones according to their liking and budget. According to statistics, Europe is expected to experience a rebound in traveller count after last year’s harrowing drop due to restricted travel opportunities.
With sports events underway, one can enjoy live matches just like before – especially sports like cricket, baseball, rugby and football. For people interested, football betting tips can be accessed via a huge database of resources and guides in order to gain knowledge of the subject. One can find out how to get started, where to find the best odds, promotions and deep insights of particular markets. Players – whether new or old – can benefit from a wide variety of bonuses and rewards that range from loyalty points and accumulator schemes to cashbacks and VIP discounts.
It goes without saying how negatively lives have been affected due to the pandemic and travel restrictions. Everyone deserves some time off, to travel, explore, and have new experiences. Sports fans have been treated well with the resumption of events since the beginning of 2022 but traveling to the sports destination is an experience in itself and something that must be done at least once in a lifetime.