📩 For the latest, follow us on Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter.
Sports tourism is on fire.
Between 2023 and 2030, sports travel is projected to spike 17.5%, topping $1.3 trillion by 2032 (Expedia Group). It’s everywhere: golf pilgrimages to the Masters, tennis-packed stadiums, padel fever spreading faster than Aperol spritzes in June.
Most sports tourists still travel to watch the action. The US Open smashed records with more than a million fans pouring through the gates last summer, but more are booking trips where they play, too.
Luxury brands and high-end hotels are piling on, rolling out wild perks for fans chasing tournaments, races and rec leagues around the globe.
Here are a few places to glam and grand slam at the same time:
Every hotel on Late Checkout is independently selected by us. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Off to the Race-cation
More runners are turning races into vacations, a race-cation, if you will. Up 9% last year (Strava,) Paris, Berlin and NYC marathons all hit record highs in 2024. For the Honolulu Marathon, Triumph Sports Travel teams up with Olympian Jeff Galloway for a six-day package in December 2025. Stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village steps from the starting line, join Galloway (who turns 80 and is still running the race) and add cultural deep dives like a taro farm and fishpond tour, Pearl Harbor and the Waikīkī Starlight Luau.
Book here, rates from $280.
F1 Fever in Full Throttle
F1 has become the sport to travel for, with 24 races across 21 countries drawing more than 6.5 million fans last year. Credit Netflix’s Drive to Survive for the boom—suddenly Monaco’s yacht-lined harbor, Singapore’s night circuit, and Mexico City’s Day of the Dead–timed GP are bucket-list trips. F1 is a global passport.
This fall, Formula 1 takes over the Strip in Vegas. Wynn’s Ultimate Race Week package pairs three nights in a Resort King or Two Queens with grandstand tickets, A-list concerts and even the amfAR Gala (last year’s headliner: Diana Ross). Throw in luxury panels and poolside pop-ups, and this is race weekend turned cultural festival.
Book here, rates from $240.
Padel is Serving
Once a niche sport in Spain and Latin America, padel has exploded into a global phenomenon, with more than 30 million players worldwide. Luxury resorts are catching on fast, including Amanzoe in Greece, Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Mexico, and Montauk Yacht Club in New York, adding courts as the new “It-girl” amenity.
For a true destination match, head to Forte Village Resort in Sardinia, where you can rally on pro-level courts before diving into the Italian coast. The new Padel Star Academy runs May through November, offering group lessons, private coaching and junior programs for kids. With legends like Seba Nerone and Rodrigo Ovide leading clinics, it’s the kind of upgrade that turns a seaside getaway into a full-blown training camp.
Book here, rates from $881.
Tennis Tourism is Aces
After the frenzy surrounding the glitterati at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open (Anna Wintour infamously attends both,) tennis has become a magnet for travelers timing their trips around tournaments, where the action is just as fierce off the court as on.
Enter Zel Punta Cana, the recently opened all-inclusive Meliá Hotels property in the Dominican Republic. Co-owned by tennis GOAT Rafael Nadal, the property will welcome a new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in early 2026. With 5 tennis courts, 4 padel courts and 6 pickleball courts, tennis lovers can work on their technique with an exclusive training system crafted by Rafa and his team before heading to the AUA Spa or taking a dip in one of seven outdoor whirlpools.
Book here, rates from $375.
Golf Trips Go Glam
Once branded as an old-boys’ pastime, golf is seeing a major shift. Women now make up 28% of on-course players and resorts from California to Fiji are taking note, building programming, fashion partnerships, and social-forward experiences that make golf less intimidating and a lot more lifestyle-driven.
At The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Callaway co-hosts a women’s golf event that blends equipment demos, custom fittings and skill-level play with a heavy dose of community. Guests can also tap into VIP packages, golf-specific fitness classes and even fittings with Callaway pros, all at one of the most storied courses in the country, where Annika Sorenstam launched her career with a U.S. Women’s Open win. It’s less about breaking par, more about breaking into the game with style.
Book here, rates from $625.