With World Cup fever in full swing, new research shows that more and more Australian soccer fans are planning travel not only to Brazil, but also to other regions famous for the sport.
The latest data from Roy Morgan Research shows that World Cup viewers are 62% more likely than the average Australian to name Mexico, Central and South America as a preferred holiday destination for travel in the next two years.
The research also found that Australian World Cup viewers are 70% more likely to want to visit Germany, which has won the World Cup three times, and 96% more likely to plan trips to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).
The region is home to footballing greats such as Xavi, Raúl, Iniesta, Cristián Ronaldo, Luís Figo and Eusebio, with Spain winning once in 2010 and Portugal placing in the top four twice.
Roy Morgan’s Industry Communications Director, Norman Morris, says that while most people consider a range of factors before deciding where to go overseas, these findings show how much of an influence sport can have on holiday plans.
“Travel is a very subjective thing, with a traveller’s personal interests often influencing where they’d like to take a holiday,” he says.
“For soccer enthusiasts, the possibilities are endless: whether it’s Barcelona to attend a match at Camp Nou, Rosario (Argentina) to worship at the Church of Maradona, or indeed Brazil for the FIFA World Cup.”
Supporting Sporting Nations
What’s more interesting about Roy Morgan’s data is that people who play soccer are even more likely that World Cup watchers to want to travel to nations famous for the sport.
The company says these “super fans” are 177% more likely than the average Australian to want to travel to Germany, 133% more likely to travel to Spain and/or Portugal and also prefer Mexico, Central and South America 86% more than most people.
The link between sport and travel is not limited to soccer either: this year has also seen an increasing interest in cycling holidays (attributed in part to Cadel Evans’ successes), and adventure tours in general.
According to the UK’s Smart Traveller website, a lot of it has to do with creating more meaningful holidays.
“Many people only get a few days’ holiday each year and would rather spend it doing something thrilling, rather than lying about all day – which they could easily do at home,” Smart Traveller explains.
“The world’s ever-increasing commitment to living a healthy lifestyle has also played a part. More people want to live clean, healthy lives – even whilst on holiday – so combining a period of relaxation with some exercise (albeit of a slightly more exciting variety) has become a great temptation.”
While Roy Morgan’s research doesn’t delve into what soccer fans would do in these other sporting nations, it’s fair to say something football related would come up, whether it’s watching a local club’s game, going to a museum or getting tickets for a more high-profile event.
Goal Confusion
The differences between travel preferences for soccer fans and everyday Australians can sometimes lead to confusing situations, as one couple recently found out.
Darwin couple Orin and Melissa van Lingen put their honeymoon on hold for a year so they could save up enough money to get to Salvador in Brazil for the match between Spain and Holland.
Unfortunately, their travel agent at an Escape Travel branch got the geography wrong and sent them to San Salvador in El Salvador instead of Brazil’s Salvador.
“We assumed there must be connecting flights but it was not until we got into the airport and there were no other flights,” Mrs van Lingen told the Sunday Territorian, adding they they were both “completely devastated” by the mix up.
“The hardest part was seeing my husband’s face – it was heartbreaking.”
While the damage was done for that particular match, a spokesperson for Flight Centre Travel Group – which owns Escape Travel – says they are working with the couple to save their holiday.
“We have provided alternative accommodation and arranged flights to Brazil to ensure their plans are back on track ahead of the next game,” they have told the Sunday Territorian.
The story could act as a warning for travel agents and soccer fans alike to make sure they are on the same page when it comes to football-fuelled holidays – whether it’s during World Cup season or at any other time of the year.
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