UN Tourism, the specialised agency for tourism within the United Nations, has announced that Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium will host the 3rd World Sports Tourism Congress from 28-29 November 2024.
Jointly organised by UN Tourism and the Government of the Region of Madrid, this year’s congress will be held under the theme of “Tourism and Sport Creating a Lasting Legacy for Destinations”.
Bringing together stakeholders from across the sectors, the event in Spain’s capital city will focus on best practices in sports tourism, including its economic impact, contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and strategies for effectively promoting destinations through sports events and sponsorships.
Agenda topics include:
- Sports tourism on government agendas
- Partnership models between governments and sports entities
- Long-term planning in sports tourism
- Sponsorship trends
- Brand alignment between destinations and sports businesses
- Brand activation community engagement in sports events
- Best practices in bidding for sports events
- Innovation in sports infrastructure and tourist experience
- New technologies (virtual reality, augmented reality, iot, artificial intelligence)
- Sustainability and net-zero strategies
- Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration in destination planning measuring impact
Confirmed speakers include:
- Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UN Tourism
- Gabriela Szabo, Former Athlete and Olympic Medallist, UVT Liberty Marathon Ambassador
- Guntur Dwiarmein, Strategic Lead – Host Venues, SailGP
- Bosco Aranguren, General Manager, DAZN Spain
- Hannah Babineau, Head of Business Development and Partnerships, Data Appeal
- Manuel Saucedo, Director General, WiZink Center
- Andrea Santini, Manager, Olimpico Stadium and Parco del Foro Italico
- David Rumbao, Marketing and Sponsorship Manager, MAPOMA
- Jens Holm, CEO, International Master Games Association
- Predrag Bogosavljev, Sport & Competitions Director, FIBA
- Habib Turki, Chief Development Officer, FIA
- Asun Paniagua, Director of the Master in Event Management, CETT-UB
- Rebecca Edser, Head of Event Scotland, VisitScotland
- Maria Valenzuela Sainz, Founder and General Manager, Brisa Media Corporate S.L.
For more information and to register see unwto.org