Booking.com reveals how sports is driving fans' travel preferences in 2020
80% of Indian sport fans would rather travel to watch their team live in 2020 than go on a family vacation.
- 81% of Indian sport fans state that they want to experience the atmosphere live in the stadium.
- 80% of Indian sport fans would rather travel to watch their team live in 2020 than go on a family vacation.
- Over 77% confess that they are willing to spend less on their partner’s or child’s presents than on traveling to a major sporting event.
- 77% of Indian sport fans are desperate to travel to a sporting event, as they don’t want to risk missing out on a historic moment.
- 67% of Indian sport fans saving money specifically to travel to see their team or favorite athlete play.
- 22% of Indian sport fans want to experience UEFA European Championship at least once in their lifetime.
With a series of major sporting events across the globe this year, 2020 is set to be an incredible year for fans. In addition to 12 European cities hosting UEFA EURO 2020™, Australia will play home to the ICC T20 World Cups, while Japan will put on a major international sporting spectacle. With such an exciting sporting calendar on the horizon, fans from all corners of the world are prepared to do anything it takes to experience the action in person.
With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, Booking.com, the Official Accommodation and Attractions Booking Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™, reveals just how far Indian fans are willing to go to ensure they can support their favorite team live in the stadium and not miss out on key sporting moments.
Indian sports fans go to extraordinary lengths to see their team live
Research conducted by Booking.com in 29 markets, among more than 19,000 football fans, shows that 80% of Indian sport fans would rather travel to watch their team live in 2020 than go on a family vacation*.
When it comes to priorities in life, planning and booking their sports trip is high on the list, with 67% of Indian sport fans saving money specifically to travel to see their team or favorite athlete play. Over 77% confess that they are willing to spend less on their partner’s or child’s birthday presents than on traveling to a major sporting event.
Fans turn sporting bucket lists into reality
It has also been revealed that 77% of Indian sport fans are desperate to travel to a sporting event, as they don’t want to risk missing out on a historic moment, whilst 81% state that they want to experience the atmosphere live in the stadium.
Attending the UEFA European Championship™ is particularly aspirational for a number of Indian sport fans, with nearly one third (22%) firmly placing it on their bucket list as a sporting event they want to experience at least once in their lifetime.
Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives at Booking.com, said: “The year 2020 is an exciting year for every sports fan out there and with UEFA EURO 2020™ just around the corner, we are certain that fans have already started planning their travels timed with these events. With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, we want to ensure that we help every sports fan find their choice of perfect accommodation no matter the destination. With this partnership with UEFA, we’re looking forward to help create best experiences and provide accommodations best suited for every traveller”
UEFA EURO 2008 Champion and Booking.com Global Ambassador, David Villa said: “It’s an electrifying year for sport and I can’t wait to experience the live atmosphere at UEFA EURO 2020™ across all the host nations and witness more incredible moments! Given the quality on show, this is shaping up to be one of the best international tournaments of all time for fans, so it’s incredible to get the opportunity to travel and be a part of it.”
In line with their utmost desire to be in the stadium to witness key moments live, it seems as though fans’ dreams of attending live matches may be turning into a reality. Booking.com reports that last month it saw a marked increase (43%) in searches for accommodations in UEFA EURO 2020™ host cities, with check in dates between 12 June - 12 July, when compared to the same time last year.**
Amongst all of the host cities, Bucharest, Baku and Bilbao experienced the largest surges, as searches grew over 150% for each, compared to last year.
And, when it comes to arranging travel plans for UEFA EURO 2020™, UK, Russian and German fans are showing signs of being the most organized, as they top the list of nationalities searching for accommodation in host cities.
Booking.com has a wide range of incredible places to stay to support any traveling fans’ needs! Visit Booking.com now or download the Booking app to book your next sports inspired stay.
*Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among 19,392 football fans aged 18 or over in 29 markets (including c.900 each from Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, Brazil, India, Indonesia, US, UK, Colombia and Russia; and c.400 each from Belgium, Denmark, Croatia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Thailand, Argentina, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mexico, Singapore, Israel, South Korea and Sweden). Fieldwork was undertaken between 8th August and 2nd September 2019
**The data analysts at Booking.com compared the amount of searches during the month January 2020 for participating cities during the time of the UEFA championship 2020 (12 June 2020 - 12 July 2020) with searches for the same weeks and destinations during January 2019.