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The 20th of July is when the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, kicks-off. This will be a historic moment for the women’s game, with an unprecedented 32 teams competing.
Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in tourism, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), drawing in communities that boost commercial and economic growth in countries worldwide. Qatar saw a significant jump in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) following its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, supporting the development of its retail and hospitality sectors.
Women’s football has been attracting record crowds, as FIFA’s latest report pegged the growth of the game as ‘unlike any sport’. With the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ set to see 32 nations compete on the international stage this year, sports tourism will continue to boom, as will the number of girls able to see that pursuing the sport professionally is an avenue for them.
The Women’s Euros was a catalyst for the growing interest in the sport which has since seen significant and continual investment. The UK’s Premier League has increased financial support for FA Women’s National League clubs to improve the women’s game and facilities. This includes a £3 million funding strategy, which has already resulted in a 200% increase in average attendance for the Women’s Super League since the Women’s Euros 2022.
Air Partner, the global aviation services group, has seen bookings for its Charter services surge over the course of 2022 due to increased demand from women’s international football teams.
The group saw a 67% increase in the number of women’s football bookings from 2021 to 2022, a percentage which rises to 133% when including new charter clients. The Women’s Euros 2022 was a major reason for this which saw the Lionesses bring home England’s first major trophy in 56 years.
Air Partner’s position as a broker service makes it an attractive partner for sports teams due to the flexibility it can offer clients regarding time and size, providing bespoke aircraft charter solutions to match requirements.
Clive Chalmers, Vice President of Charter at Air Partner, commented: “In 2022 we saw group charter begin to really take off again following the pandemic and women’s football has been a large contributor to this recovery. It’s great to see the same treatment in facilities and resources as the men’s game as comfortable flying provides a high-performance environment that allows players to work at their best.”
“With many more sporting competitions taking place this year, we expect a lot of charter airlines to have increased their fleet size in anticipation for this continued demand to provide more aircraft availability, giving customers more options than ever before.”
The Women’s FIFA World Cup is due to take place this summer across Australia and New Zealand and the heightened status of the sport is likely to see demand for private jet travel continue to increase, and with it, the continued growth of sports tourism.
