How many times have you been in a Subway restaurant in Minot or a local gas station and you see a group of kids in the same sports uniform? How many times have you asked yourself, "What are these kids doing in town?"? Well, if you're anything like me, then this has happened to you several times. Did you ever think that there may be more questions to ask yourself than just "What are these kids doing in town?"? Sports Tourism is one the fastest growing industries in the world. It is also, however, one of the least talked about. Tourism has been and will continue to be one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the world. Obviously sports are a very important aspect to society in many different ways. Culturally, Economically, and Socially, the role sports play in today's society is immeasurable. But, what is Sports Tourism? I intend to answer that question and also give several examples of how Sports Tourism is becoming an increasingly important aspect to many different country's economies. I will also give some specific examples of sports that are big money makers in the Sports Tourism realm and how Sports Tourism affects the city of Minot and the states of North Dakota and Arizona. First, however, we need to define what Sports Tourism actually is.
Before we can define what Sports Tourism is, we need to define what Sports are and what Tourism is. Sports can be anything that includes one more of the basic physical elements of sport such as running, jumping, throwing, hitting, sliding, catching, shooting, dribbling or participation, attendance, organizing, learning a sports skill or watching sports teams, groups or individuals compete or sports competition against s ...