Being a good sport

How can Asian destinations play a better game at attracting major sporting events? Our panel of sports and tourism experts shares their views in this roundtable discussion. By S Puvaneswary, Greg Lowe, Gracia Chiang, Paige Lee Pei Qi and Shekhar Niyogi

What do Asian destinations need to do to attract more world-class sporting events?
JOHN COX Singapore is a good example of an Asian country spearheading the initiative to draw more world-class events. It has turned the F1 into much more than a race with music and entertainment while the Singapore Sports Hub is a quality infrastructure development that has already attracted the WTA Championship later this year. Other Asian territories have the benefit of larger markets and can learn from Singapore’s example to start.

But major sporting events like Wimbledon or The US Masters did not just pop up overnight; they are steeped in years of history and heritage. World-class sporting events take time to build, and Asia has to understand that it will take many years of slogging it out and building a local fan base, heritage and a profile before becoming permanent fixtures on the sporting calendar.

GLORIA NG It is important for a destination to first recognise the growing (importance) of sporting events, and then the government and sports industry players should heavily invest in better facilities and amenities, dedicated divisions in the government to assist growth, sports sponsorships from organisations and most importantly, the expertise of local sports event organisers to help put together a successful event.

BRANDON DE SOUZA If the parent body of a sport is based in a country, it automatically influences world-class sporting events to be hosted there. Governments definitely (need) a dedicated team and organisation working towards the singular goal of winning bids for such events.

HANS VAN DEN BORN You need to organise sporting events related to your destination (strengths). Thailand is famous for beaches, so why not organise beach volleyball or a major water sports event? Phuket is a great destination for these types of events, although recently there have been sewerage problems around Karon Beach. Some people want to promote/attract new types of sporting events when we are not looking after our natural assets, which could support more (locally) relevant activities.

What are the top priorities in selecting a destination for such events? What components need looking into to successfully execute them?
WAYNE EVANS Good infrastructure is the most important thing, plus of course good prize money, which depends on the types of sports too. World-class events have different gauges, and I reckon at least US$100,000 for a cycling event.

Air access to and within a destination is definitely a major concern too. Singapore is ideal for this (access) factor because it is a well-connected hub and travelling around the country is no problem too.

NG Geographical location plays a crucial role: easy access into a country is a plus point, especially when the country is supportive of incoming traffic for major sporting events. (Event) participants are also tourists who would be exploring the country before and after the event, so travel, mobility and sightseeing are some of the drivers to (attract visitors).

Also important is the support of a wide industry network, which includes governing bodies, events companies, travel consultants, medical services, hotels and transportation services. Government support plus good planning from reputable organisers are important to build confidence in a sporting event, especially when you command an international following. Reliable organisers will ensure a smooth, fun and essentially safe event, and provide a holistic network from marketing and promotions to safety measures.

SAINI VERMEULEN The country should be deemed ‘safe’ to travel to, with good connections, public transportation infrastructure, and a range of local and international hotel brands. Hefty prize money and appearance fee will also entice world-class sporting personalities to participate.

DE SOUZA Infrastructure is foremost, so is a high-quality, experienced team to direct the planning well ahead of the event. If in-house resources are unavailable, then hiring experienced consultants to head the major verticals is the best investment a country can make.

COX Ultimately it comes down to the experience of attendees and what they take away from the event – if fans have a good experience, then you are already ahead of the game. There must be loads of preparation and planning for every imaginable scenario; the more the organisers plan for contingencies, the more likely the event will go smoothly and be a success. Finer details should go into every aspect of the hospitality, from language support to personalised services.

Sporting events are a chance to build tourism in lesser-known areas of the country. True?
NG Yes. Sporting events are undoubtedly a contributor to the economy and tourism sector of a lesser-known country, for example, the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Smaller events in Malaysia such as the recent Music Run 2014 or the Powerman Duathlon are some activities that bring participants from other states and countries to converge together, thus boosting local as well as international tourism.

VERMEULEN Yes, as long as the event is executed properly and there is enough lead time to promote it overseas. Event organisers and NTOs should engage travel consultants to package the event with accommodation and tours so that tourists will extend their stay after the event.

VAN DEN BORN People often say this, but I am not at all convinced. It comes back to focusing on directly promoting sports or events that are relevant to your destination, like water sports in Thailand. Otherwise, the event has to be remarkably unique to make it worthwhile travelling to the (lesser-known) destination. In Thailand’s Buriram, they have built (Formula 3 and GT) racing tracks, but that’s a seven-hour drive from Bangkok. I am not sure the events are strong enough to make a lot of people want to make that journey.

Are hotels/travel agencies/other tourism players good at maximising opportunities from sporting events? How can they improve?
VERMEULEN It is easier for hotels to benefit from sporting events as they draw international spectators. It is not so easy for travel consultants to get a piece of the cake since organisers book hotels directly and may only use tour operators for transfers and tours – if at all. To get a bigger share of the market, travel agencies should be proactive and approach organisers with their services and see how they can work in partnership.

NG With the availability and accessibility of social media and online booking platforms, it has become very easy for both the seller and the intended buyer to ‘meet’. We are starting to see some travel industry players focusing on sports events travel packages utilising such platforms. More competitive packages or packages more tailor-made to the sport as opposed to run-of-the-mill programmes would be good.

VAN DEN BORN Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races has been a very successful event, so this is a good example of where the recently launched Bangkok Riverside Marketing Partnership (an alliance of hotels along the Chao Phraya River) could look at developing something water-related so we can have sports events on the river. Opportunities are out there.

DE SOUZA There are selfish individual stakeholder agencies who would cash in on the event, but they should be encouraged to maximise opportunities (for others) from sporting events, which is where travel agency associations can play a part. Most tourism stakeholders operate in an insular manner, fixated on their own profit motives rather than collaborating to build a bigger event and market with ancillary products. That can help larger revenues to be accrued by all.

What support do travel agencies need from event organisers/NTOs/venues?
VAN DEN BORN Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) needs to consult with hoteliers and DMCs about what they are going to promote before developing a campaign. Often it is not that relevant in terms of the type of promotion or the target market. It will be much better if TAT involves the local industry early in the planning stage.

VERMEULEN Many sports organisers do not engage tour operators to assist them with logistics, gala dinner and marketing of the event overseas. Organisers should work with DMCs to reach out to the right audience and offer them sales incentives.

DE SOUZA Once dates are announced, travel agencies need help in putting together attractive packages to lure people to make the trip – prohibitive pricing can be a huge detriment. NTOs need to spell out clear policies on visas and incentives for large inbound groups, hotels on room allocation, event organisers on ticket allocation and venues on streamlining group entry facilities.

COX Travel agencies would benefit from marketing support in overseas markets, on-the-ground resources to support overseas guests, and services and/or products designed for guests that may have travelled around the world to be there. Much of the sales process is educating travellers on what to expect from their experience at the event and why they should make the investment to attend. If it is a global event (the travel agency) has to understand that they will have global customers who have different tastes, languages and needs, so the product on offer has to reflect that.

Many countries don’t have existing data on sports tourism and its economic impact, thus making strategic decisions on bidding/hosting of events a difficulty. Do you see this as a problem? 

EVANS It is not a problem at all. It is very difficult to measure such economic impacts. For example, my group spent three days before an event and four days after to tour around Singapore’s Night Safari and Marina Bay Sands, spending an awful amount of money although it is hard to track the exact fiscal amount. We don’t have to measure it but it is obviously common sense that there is a lucrative return with events. And if there is no financial impact, why do so many people want to host sporting events?

NG Yes, facts and figures are needed when making strategic decisions on bidding processes. With so many countries involved in the process of bidding, it is crucial to be able to convince the decision-making bodies of the competence of a destination and its people in handling major sporting events.

DE SOUZA It is a problem only if the host country does not have the foresight. Gathering empirical data such as footfalls, source markets, preferred tourism packages and products bought, and yield per hotel room are all easily available. The positive economic impact of tourism is a given. Look at Sharjah (in UAE), which has become a cricket hub and you would realise everything can be made available if there is passion and interest.

What other issues/impediments need to be addressed?
COX The whole booking process needs to be as transparent and smooth as possible. For the World Cup in Brazil this year, ticket holders have their visa fee waived, which is a great example of how sports and tourism agencies can work together to make things easier for the fans.
In terms of broader monetisation, there is definitely a need to educate Asian businesses about sponsorship. The Asian Sponsorship Association was founded in Singapore last year to tackle this lack of awareness and hopefully to increase the attractiveness of Asia for event organisers.

DE SOUZA We need complete coordination between all stakeholders and agencies, pivoting around the NTO. Easy issuance of visas is crucial, as are flight connectivity from prime source markets, widespread and easy sale of tickets, high hotel room inventory, entertainment and fine-dining opportunities, and top-class transportation options.

NG Different markets have their own unique challenges. For Malaysia, marketing and promotion of events will be more impactful if the media broadcast high-profile sports events happening in the country to the world. This will definitely go a long way in convincing decision-makers, participants, supporters and the whole network that Malaysia is capable of hosting world-class sporting events.

Additional reporting from Paige Lee Pei Qi, Greg Lowe, Gracia Chiang, Shekhar Niyogi