SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Sports tourism spiked around Sunday’s Super Bowl LX, with fans and corporate hosts pouring money into ultra-premium experiences at Levi’s Stadium — from $6,500 hospitality packages to custom trips that can top $2 million. Travel and event executives say the surge reflects a post-pandemic appetite for access and “Instagram-worthy” moments as much as the game itself, Feb. 9, 2026.
In a Reuters report, Paul Caine, president of premium hospitality company On Location, pointed to what buyers are really chasing: “If you’ve never been on the (Super Bowl) field after the confetti’s flown and done a snow angel you have not experienced sports.”
On Location, the NFL’s official hospitality provider, said its Super Bowl packages started at $6,500 per person, with remaining options priced as high as $34,500, according to Reuters. The top tier sold out, and pricing for those experiences was not disclosed. Packages can bundle pregame parties, premium food and drink, NFL legend appearances and postgame field access, plus add-ons such as private tastings in Napa Valley, golf at Pebble Beach and access to live music events featuring artists including Sting and The Killers.
Sports tourism turns the Super Bowl into a luxury travel market
For buyers who want a one-stop itinerary, the league’s official Super Bowl LX ticket packages page directs fans and corporate entertainers to bundled options that can include hotels, hospitality and premium seating through the authorized channel.
Package sellers have also leaned into destination-weekend programming that keeps travelers in-market beyond kickoff. A 49ers-hosted announcement for Super Bowl LX packages promoted a Studio 60 music event at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, alongside offerings that combine transportation, lodging and VIP hospitality.
At the top end, concierge firms say the pitch is exclusivity and convenience, not just better seats. Confirmed360 Managing Director Simon David told Reuters, “Everybody is trying to impress somebody or keep up with that other company,” describing corporate demand among tech clients and venture capital firms looking to host investors and customers.
That high-end slice sits atop a much larger sports tourism base. The Sports Events & Tourism Association said spectator sports tourism generated $47.1 billion in direct spending in 2024, translating into a $114.4 billion total economic impact, according to the group’s spectator travel report. The association said 109.7 million non-local attendees traveled 50 miles or more for games in 2024, and 63.5 million of them stayed overnight.
In a broader look at the “sports economy,” the World Economic Forum described sports tourism as a growth engine, calling it the fastest-growing area of tourism in a January explainer.
Sports tourism has been building for years
The premium pivot may feel new, but the travel behavior is not. A Sports ETA summary of its 2019 industry report said U.S. sports travelers, event organizers and venues spent $45.1 billion in 2019, and that sports tourism spending rose 16.7% from 2015 to 2019. By 2025, National Geographic cited UN Tourism in reporting that sports tourism was worth more than £500 billion and accounted for about 10% of the total tourism market.
With the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup also set for 2026, travel advisors expect competition for premium inventory — suites, direct flights, private dining and guaranteed access — to keep pushing sports tourism toward more bespoke, experience-heavy itineraries.
