Luxury agents who aren’t yet selling sports travel are missing out on one of the fastest-growing and highest-spending sectors in the industry, according to Vedere Travel founder and Managing Director Alex Catton.
The UK sports tourism market is estimated to be worth more than £20 billion this year alone and sports ticket and hospitality specialist Vedere is seeing demand surge across Formula 1, football, tennis, golf and other major global events.
Alex says the average booking is more than £18,000, adding: “It’s a huge industry and, once an agent has sold a high net worth customer a sports package, they’re likely to get repeat business for other types of holidays.”
Alex set up Vedere two and a half years ago and the company works with a growing number of travel agency groups, including Advantage Travel Partnership, Protected Trust Services and its most recent signing, Travel Counsellors, as well as supplying tour operators. The trade accounts for 50% of Vedere’s business.
Agents can book complete packages, hospitality-only options or tickets-only, depending on the client’s requirements.
Sell the next event while everyone’s watching the current one
One of the biggest opportunities for agents is to capitalise on the excitement generated during a high-profile event and Alex uses last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix as a prime example.
It’s the most prestigious event on the Formula 1 calendar, and this year it caught the attention of many more people, when Kardashian sisters Kim and Khloe added even more glamour to the occasion, supporting Kim’s boyfriend, Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton.
Alex said agents should be tapping into the excitement by highlighting the next event in the F1 calendar. In the same way, with interest around the French Open final at Roland-Garros at the weekend, it’s the perfect time to start promoting Wimbledon.
“It’s all about striking while the iron is hot,” Alex explained. “If people are watching an event on television, they’re already engaged. That’s when you put the next opportunity in front of them.”
For agents, that means treating the sporting calendar as a year-round sales tool rather than a collection of isolated events.
Identifying a sports traveller
Alex says there are two different types of people who book a sports package: the real sports fans and those that want to go to be seen.
“Formula 1 is probably the best example of the two different types of client we see,” he said.
“On one side, there are the genuine sports fans. They want to be there for the race and they’re often more budget conscious. They’re interested in getting the best possible view and will spend more on the ticket than on luxury accommodation.
“Then you have the corporate clients and those who want to be seen. For them, money is often no object. They want the best hospitality, the best location and the best views. They’re just as interested in the atmosphere around the event as they are in the race itself.
“In Monaco, a really nice package with a hotel and grandstand seat might cost between £8,000 and £10,000. At the other end of the scale, clients can spend £50,000 or more for a package that also has access to luxury yachts, DJs, exclusive nightclub events and the most sought-after hospitality experiences. Some are more interested in what’s happening on the yacht than what’s happening on the track.”
One of the most sought-after experiences is the strictly limited access to the F1 Paddock Club. “You can watch mechanics working on the cars, meet drivers and experience areas that most people simply can’t access,” Alex said.
The next F1 event, is the Spanish Grand Prix, in Barcelona, this coming weekend. “We have clients who have stayed at the Carlton in Cannes after Monaco until tomorrow and then will be checking into the Hotel Arts tomorrow for the Spanish Grand Prix, flying via private jet from Nice to Barcelona.”
World Cup demand surging
The other big event in the sporting calendar right now is the FIFA World Cup, which starts tomorrow (11 June). Despite earlier reports of disappointing sales, Alex said demand is now high.
“We expected this,” he said. “Once the regular football season ends, all eyes are now on the World Cup and, since the beginning of this week, we have been inundated with hospitality bookings for England, Scotland and final packages, with availability becoming really limited already
“If England and Scotland start progressing, demand will ramp up very quickly – and we can react really quickly.
“If England win a game at 8pm, we’ll be making reservations at 10pm,” he says. “We’ll be speaking to agents and clients straight away and securing availability.
“This morning (10 June), we’ve taken a corporate booking of eight to fly out next week for England v Croatia, as well as bookings for England v Panama on 27 June and Scotland v Brazil on 24 June. So yes, they are leaving it late, but we can move swiftly and respond to demand as it develops.”
Main picture: Alex in Monaco for the Grand Prix last weekend. Second image: The Paddock Club at Monaco
