3rd World Sports Tourism Congress
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain, | 28-29 November 2024
"Tourism and Sport Creating a Lasting Legacy for Destinations"
UN Tourism and the Government of the Region of Madrid will jointly organize the 3rd World Sports Tourism Congress in the city of Madrid on 28-29 November 2024.
The Congress, under the theme "Tourism and Sport Creating a Lasting Legacy for Destinations" will once again bring together high-level stakeholders from these sectors to share innovative ideas, best practices, and insights into sports tourism, including its economic impact, contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and strategies for effectively promoting destinations through sports events and sponsorships.
Topics on the Agenda
- Sports Tourism on Government Agendas
- Partnership models between governments and sports entities
- Long-term planning in Sports Tourism
- Sponsorship trends
- Brand alignment between destinations and sports businesses
- Brand Activation
- Community engagement in sports events
- Best practices in bidding for sports events
- Innovation in sports infrastructure and tourist experience
- New technologies (i.e., Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, IoT, Artificial Intelligence)
- Sustainability and net-zero strategies
- Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) integration in destination planning
- Measuring impact
Background on Sports Tourism
- Sports Tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors worldwide, both in size and market volume. In 2023, the market reached an approximate value of $609 billion and it is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of around 16% between 2024 and 2030.
- The tourism and sports sectors are inextricably linked and play a key role in enhancing economic diversification, growth, and social development in many destinations by creating jobs and supporting businesses in cities and rural communities. The increasing popularity of major sporting events attracts more and more domestic and international visitors.
- Tourism and sports are committed to contributing to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Destinations globally recognize the potential of this segment and seek to position themselves as Sports Tourism destinations by investing in sporting infrastructure, bidding to host sports events, and implementing marketing strategies to promote their sports offer.
For any questions regarding the 3rd World Sports Tourism Congress, please contact us by email at wstc@unwto.org
Confirmed Speakers
Throughout its editions, the World Sports Tourism Congress has showcased a diverse array of speakers, uniting voices from experts, thought leaders, and professionals from various fields to create a valuable and enriching experience for those attending. Check out some of the confirmed speakers for this year's edition:
Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili
Secretary-General,
UN Tourism
Mr. Mariano de Paco Serrano
Councilor of Culture, Tourism, and Sports,
Region of Madrid
Mr. Sultan Al Musallam
Deputy Minister of International Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ms. Gabriela Szabo
Former Athlete and Olympic Medallist UVT Liberty Marathon Ambassador
Ms. Teresa Perales
Swimmer & Paralympic Medallist Recipient of the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
Mr. Juan Enrique Suárez del Real Tostado
Secretary of Tourism,
State of Nayarit
Mr. Guntur Dwiarmein
Strategic Lead - Host Venues,
SailGP
Mr. Bosco Aranguren
General Manager,
DAZN Spain
Ms. Hannah Babineau
Head of Business Development and Partnerships, Data Appeal
Mr. Manuel Saucedo
Director General,
WiZink Center
Mr. Andrea Santini
Manager,
Olimpico Stadium and
Parco del Foro Italico
Mr. David Rumbao
Marketing and Sponsorship Manager,
MAPOMA
Mr. Jens Holm
CEO,
International Master Games Association
Mr. Predrag Bogosavljev
Sport & Competitions Director,
FIBA
Mr. Habib Turki
Chief Development Officer,
FIA
Ms. Asun Paniagua
Director of the Master in Event Management,
CETT-UB
Ms. Rebecca Edser
Head of Event Scotland,
VisitScotland
Ms. Maria Valenzuela Sainz
Founder and General Manager,
Brisa Media Corporate S.L.
Ms. Agathe Daudibon
EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Director,
European Cyclists' Federation (ECF)
Ms. Iris Córdoba
Managing Director,
GSIC powered by Microsoft
Mr. Sebastian Lancestremere
Worldwide Strategic Partnerships Director,
Microsoft Corp.
Mr. Giuseppe Redaelli
President,
MONZA Circuit & Automobile Club Italia
Mr. Carlos Cantó
CEO,
SPSG Consulting
Mr. Abdulaziz Baeshen
Secretary General & CEO,
Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Ms. Ada Xu
Director of International Affairs,
FLIGGY
Ms. Marina Simun
International Cooperation Advisor, Croatian National Tourist Board
Ms. Morgane Gaultier
Senior Manager,
World Aquatics
Ms. Josefina Brugnini
Consultant,
SPSG Consulting
Ms. María Benzal
Commercial and International Expansion Director,
MADCUP
Mr. Alberto Tomé
Director of Sports,
Region of Madrid
Mr. Javier Gurrea-Nozaleda
Sponsorship and Licensing Director,
LALIGA
Ms. Marian Otamendi
CEO,
World Football Summit-WFS
Mr. Alejandro Pita
Journalist & Documentary Director,
Onda Madrid
Ms. Delfina Ferrer de Frankenberg
Sport Educator at Madrid Volleyball Federation, Sport Commentator at Telemadrid
Mr. Gilberto Godoy
Former Volleyball Player
and Olympic Medallist
Know more about the Region of Madrid:
With the support of:
Relive the top 10 moments from last year's edition of WSTC:
Documents:
- General Information Note
- Concept Note
- Programme
- List of Participants
- List of Speakers
- UN Tourism - Sports Tourism
- 1st World Sports Tourism Congress
- 2nd World Sports Tourism Congress
- Photos
- Conclusions 3rd World Sports Tourism Congress
- News Release #1: Kick-off in Madrid: 3rd World Sports Tourism Congress Set to Unite Global Leaders
- News Release #2: Madrid Sets the Stage for the 3rd World Sports Tourism Congress
- News Release #3: Tourism and Sport: Creating a Lasting Legacy for Destinations at the 3rd World Sports Tourism Congress