Sponsorship Sector Report - Tourist Boards 2026

This report provides an overview of the tourist boards sector across the globe . It explores all the main active brands in the sector as well as details the movement in the sector over the last few years in the sports sponsorship industry.

Market Overview: Tourist-board sports sponsorship has rebounded strongly since 2021, reaching $528.9 million in 2025 despite slightly lower deal volume. Tourist Boards are using sport as an always-on global media channel to drive visitation, reshape reputation, and support investment narratives amid rising geopolitical risk.
Analysis by Sport: Soccer dominates tourism-board sponsorship by scale and frequency, delivering $220.78 million annually across 181 deals. Its year-round leagues provide dependable multi-market visibility and activation options that can convert awareness into travel intent.
Product Category Breakdown: Tourist boards allocate most sponsorship spend to teams for reliable, year-round exposure and always-on content. The market counts 286 team deals worth $310.02 million, including nine $10 million + agreements-all held by Middle East & Africa tourist boards.
Key Product Market: Europe leads tourist-board sponsorship spend by scale, securing $177.52 million across 334 deals. Its $0.53 million average reflects many smaller partnerships, supported by top-tier soccer, cycling, and tennis properties plus easy cross-border travel.
Leading Brands: As the current biggest annual spending tourist board, Abu Dhabi Tourism takes a global-first approach, aligning with elite international teams and leagues to maximize reach. The strategy supports premium positioning and international visitor growth, using top-tier platforms to reinforce modernity, luxury, and hospitality.
Spend per brand location: Tourism boards headquartered in the Middle East and Africa are the world’s largest spenders, exceeding North America’s annual outlay by $253.9M and dominating premium sponsorship investments.

Report Scope

• This report looks to offer a detailed insight into the tourist boards sector across the globe. It explores all the main brands in the sector as well as details the movement in the sector over the last few years across the globe in the sports sponsorship industry.

Reasons to Buy

• For those wanting an in-depth analysis of how the tourist boards sector across the globe performed in the sports sponsorship industry, in the sense of both business and popularity.