Sports Travel Trends for 2021 by Sports Tours International

Here at Sports Tours International we are always looking ahead to see what the next travel trends are so we can be ahead of the game. Our events programme is put together several months in advance and we want to make sure that we offer the products that our customers are looking for.

Every day when we get to the office or when we turn the computer on at home for a day’s work, we ask ourselves the question; what does our customers want from us? Product Director Alex put together a list with some our current thinking about what is likely to happen in 2021 and how we’ve translated our thinking into our product offering.

1. Events will be tough to get into in 2021
2. Some events will not be around in 2021
3. Virtual is here to stay
4. Some Sportives and Pro cycling events will not take place in the same weekend
5. Finances and risk
6. The return of the package holiday
7. Health is Wealth
8. Brexit will change things
9. Covid will change things
10. The good guys and the bad guys of customer service in 2020
11. Low impact travel
12. Revenge travel
13. Another cycling boom
14. Another running boom
15. Wide open spaces
16. Slow Travel
17. Accommodation types will evolve
18. Staycations
19. Healthcare
20. Bucket-list events
21. Tour Operators and Travel Agents

1. Events will be tough to get into in 2021

Unfortunately we haven’t been able to take part in our favourite events in 2020. As events were cancelled, many runners, cyclists and triathletes decided to roll their event entry over to the 2021 edition of their chosen events. Participant fields are always limited and the most popular events sell out almost immediately. Local government safety restrictions may also mean that fields have to be scaled back to include less participants. In 2021 we expect the entire entry process to be even more difficult than normal. In some cases there may not even be a lottery/ ballot anymore as the event is already fully booked.

12 Full-Distance Races in US and Canada Sell Out for 2021

What we are doing to make sold out races available

• We offer guaranteed entries to events that are sold out. There is no need to waste time and click refresh on your browser for hours once entries go on sale to try and buy an event entry
• Where possible we’ll increase entries on big, sell -out events. We have increased entries on Mallorca 312, the Haute Route series of events and on all the Marathon Majors

Events that are sold out but where we have guaranteed entries available

• Berlin Marathon
• Paris Marathon
• Paris Half Marathon
• London Marathon (French and Irish customers only)
• Great North Run  (French and Irish customers only)
• Tokyo Marathon – limited entries will be available when we launch our packages – SIGN UP TO OUR NOTIFICATION LIST HERE
• Dublin Marathon – limited entries will be available when we launch our packages – SIGN UP TO OUR NOTIFICATION LIST HERE
• New York Marathon – limited entries will be available when we launch our packages – SIGN UP TO OUR NOTIFICATION LIST HERE
• Marathon du Mont Blanc – final few entries are available
• Haute Route Alps – final few entries are available

2. Some events will not be around in 2021

3. Virtual is here to stay

4. Some Sportives and Pro cycling events will not take place in the same weekend

Cycling events proved to be remarkably resilient in 2020. All 3 Grand Tours took place albeit on later dates than normal and many of the big one day classics in Belgium, France and Italy were also raced by the professionals. The same could not be said for the mass participation events that tend to take place  either the day before or the day after the Pro race. Events like the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche, the We Ride Flanders and Paris-Roubaix Challenge were all cancelled.

In 2021 we expect that the cyclists of the Pro peloton will race on the usual dates of the UCI calendar. We also expect that the mass participation events will be either cancelled or postponed to another weekend in 2021. The Gran Fondo Strade Bianche has already been moved from its usual weekend date in March to September 2021.

5. Finances and risk

6. Brexit will change things

7. Covid will change things

8. The good guys and the bad guys of customer service in 2020

9. Low impact travel

10. Revenge travel

11. Another cycling boom

12. Another running boom

13. Wide open spaces

14. Slow Travel

15. Accommodation types will evolve

16. Staycations

17. Healthcare

18. Bucket-list events

19. Tour Operators and Travel Agents

Here at Sports Tours International we are always looking ahead to see what the next travel trends are so we can be ahead of the game. Our events programme is put together several months in advance and we want to make sure that we offer the products that our customers are looking for.

Every day when we get to the office or when we turn the computer on at home for a day’s work, we ask ourselves the question; what does our customers want from us? Product Director Alex put together a list with some our current thinking about what is likely to happen in 2021 and how we’ve translated our thinking into our product offering.

1. Events will be tough to get into in 2021
2. Some events will not be around in 2021
3. Virtual is here to stay
4. Some Sportives and Pro cycling events will not take place in the same weekend
5. Finances and risk
6. The return of the package holiday
7. Health is Wealth
8. Brexit will change things
9. Covid will change things
10. The good guys and the bad guys of customer service in 2020
11. Low impact travel
12. Revenge travel
13. Another cycling boom
14. Another running boom
15. Wide open spaces
16. Slow Travel
17. Accommodation types will evolve
18. Staycations
19. Healthcare
20. Bucket-list events
21. Tour Operators and Travel Agents

1. Events will be tough to get into in 2021

Unfortunately we haven’t been able to take part in our favourite events in 2020. As events were cancelled, many runners, cyclists and triathletes decided to roll their event entry over to the 2021 edition of their chosen events. Participant fields are always limited and the most popular events sell out almost immediately. Local government safety restrictions may also mean that fields have to be scaled back to include less participants. In 2021 we expect the entire entry process to be even more difficult than normal. In some cases there may not even be a lottery/ ballot anymore as the event is already fully booked.

12 Full-Distance Races in US and Canada Sell Out for 2021

What we are doing to make sold out races available

• We offer guaranteed entries to events that are sold out. There is no need to waste time and click refresh on your browser for hours once entries go on sale to try and buy an event entry
• Where possible we’ll increase entries on big, sell -out events. We have increased entries on Mallorca 312, the Haute Route series of events and on all the Marathon Majors

Events that are sold out but where we have guaranteed entries available

• Berlin Marathon
• Paris Marathon
• Paris Half Marathon
• London Marathon (French and Irish customers only)
• Great North Run  (French and Irish customers only)
• Tokyo Marathon – limited entries will be available when we launch our packages – SIGN UP TO OUR NOTIFICATION LIST HERE
• Dublin Marathon – limited entries will be available when we launch our packages – SIGN UP TO OUR NOTIFICATION LIST HERE
• New York Marathon – limited entries will be available when we launch our packages – SIGN UP TO OUR NOTIFICATION LIST HERE
• Marathon du Mont Blanc – final few entries are available
• Haute Route Alps – final few entries are available

2. Some events will not be around in 2021

3. Virtual is here to stay

4. Some Sportives and Pro cycling events will not take place in the same weekend

Cycling events proved to be remarkably resilient in 2020. All 3 Grand Tours took place albeit on later dates than normal and many of the big one day classics in Belgium, France and Italy were also raced by the professionals. The same could not be said for the mass participation events that tend to take place  either the day before or the day after the Pro race. Events like the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche, the We Ride Flanders and Paris-Roubaix Challenge were all cancelled.

In 2021 we expect that the cyclists of the Pro peloton will race on the usual dates of the UCI calendar. We also expect that the mass participation events will be either cancelled or postponed to another weekend in 2021. The Gran Fondo Strade Bianche has already been moved from its usual weekend date in March to September 2021.

5. Finances and risk

6. Brexit will change things

7. Covid will change things

8. The good guys and the bad guys of customer service in 2020

9. Low impact travel

10. Revenge travel

11. Another cycling boom

12. Another running boom

13. Wide open spaces

14. Slow Travel

15. Accommodation types will evolve

16. Staycations

17. Healthcare

18. Bucket-list events

19. Tour Operators and Travel Agents