- New York City hosted the World Cup and NBA Finals, boosting sports tourism.
- Tailgate tourism is a growing trend amid soaring ticket prices.
- NBA Finals get-in tickets were approximately $4,000.
- World Cup final get-in prices were $9,500.
- New York hotel occupancy reached 95.7pc on 18 July.
New York City has been at the centre of the sports world this summer with the FIFA World Cup and the New York Knicks winning their first championship in 53 years. “Tailgate tourism,” when fans travel to a city where a sporting event is occurring to watch a game but not actually attend, has emerged as a growing trend amid soaring ticket prices. Hotels in the city have enjoyed a boost in sports-driven tourism from fans seeking watch parties rather than game tickets.
The get-in price for Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York was approximately $4,000; the average ticket price was $7,000. For the World Cup final, the get-in price on secondary markets was $9,500, and the average ticket price was $15,331. On 18 July, New York hotel occupancy reached 95.7pc with ADR of $622.32, resulting in RevPAR of $595.64.
Peter Yeung of the Walker Hotels Collection stated sporting events bring a massive impact to the city, with fans traveling to be around other fans cheering on their team. Yeung stated his hotels installed TVs at rooftop bars and lobbies for watch parties. The Z Hotel NYC’s General Manager David Roman stated the FIFA World Cup and NBA Finals added additional demand for the hotel.
Peter Yeung of Walker Hotels Collection shared, “Sporting events bring a massive impact to our city.”
David Roman of Z Hotel NYC shared, “It’s almost like a double-dipper for them. They’re coming in first on vacation time, but also it happens to be the FIFA World Cup.”
