Tourism boom with Asia sporting events
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Asia is witnessing a witnessing a parallel boom in events and investments as it welcomes major sports events to the region, an Abacus report said. Quoting the biggest of them all, the Beijing Olympics, Abacus President and CEO Robert Bailey said the mega event is supported by a slew of new events and investment in the region which will have spin-offs for tourism. “Added to that, certain sports which used to be the preserve of Western countries also see the prospect of growth here in Asia and there is a sort of gold rush as these seek greater exposure here,” he said. “With a number of countries within the region now boasting first-class facilities and many more developing them, Asia is on track to be the home of the away game.” Bailey said host cities come under the spotlight during mega sporting events, generating indirect benefits to a range of related industries. This presents a high-end niche segment that travel agents can exploit, he said. Quoting a study of sports tourists by the Sports Business Group, Abacus said it found that “they are passionate, high-spending, enjoy new sporting experiences and often stimulate other tourism”. “Their direct benefit to a destination is cash – their indirect benefit can be years of follow-on tourists.”
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