Vince Nguyen, a 39-year-old entrepreneur based mostly in Vietnam, spends a couple of hundred {dollars} virtually each month touring to different international locations to play pickleball.
The game, which started as a pastime after he injured himself in American soccer, has since change into central to his life-style, as he performs it for two to 4 hours virtually day by day.
Since he picked up the game two years in the past, Nguyen has performed leisurely in Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Canada. Subsequent month, he’s planning to go to China for an upcoming event.
He says he forks out a couple of hundred {dollars} on round-trip flights to Taiwan or Malaysia for tournaments and leisure play with mates. Moreover, he pays court docket charges starting from $4 to $8 for open play and about $38 an evening for resorts. In whole, the journeys value him between $386 and $772.
Nonetheless, he spends virtually $1,000 when touring to Canada, the place flights and indoor courts are pricier than in Asia.
“I prefer to spend per week … taking part in a couple of instances, trying out completely different courts, going to completely different eating places,” he mentioned.
Vince Nguyen (high proper) at a pickleball event in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
Supply: Vince Nguyen
Nguyen believes touring to play pickleball makes a distinction as “each nation has somewhat bit completely different fashion” in taking part in the sport, and he isn’t alone. He is without doubt one of the many millennials who’re fueling a rising development in journey: sports activities tourism.
Based on Hilton’s 2026 Developments Report, which polled over 14,000 vacationers throughout 14 international locations, about 67% of millennials have deliberate a visit for occasions associated to their pursuits, together with sports activities, wellness and live shows.
Within the U.S. alone, millennials are 80% extra more likely to plan a trip for tennis and 87% for pickleball, in line with a survey by on-line journey company Priceline on journey traits in 2025.
And there aren’t any indicators of sports activities tourism slowing down. The sports activities tourism business is already a $707.29 billion market and is forecasted to almost triple by 2032, in line with Fortune Enterprise Insights.
Europe leads the market with a valuation of $248.23 billion final yr. In the meantime, Asia-Pacific has been marked the fastest-growing area, anticipated to be price $149.50 billion in 2025.
Sports activities tourism in Asia-Pacific is projected to have a compound annual progress charge of 17.85% from 2025 to 2032.
“Good to your soul”
One other millennial, 35-year-old Nirbhay Handa, who is predicated in Singapore, additionally travels overseas for tennis.
“I am going to go to a tennis camp in Phuket … after I journey to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I’ve a tennis coach that I simply go and play with within the evenings after work,” he mentioned. “I feel this makes me higher at work, as a result of I am in a greater temper,” the entrepreneur mentioned.
He may even convey his tennis racket with him every time he travels for enterprise or leisure. He mentioned he has spent round $200 per week on tennis periods in Dubai.
Handa mentioned that the game is greater than a interest to him. “It simply turned very therapeutic, and it put me on to some good habits … not consuming until late on Friday … giving up social smoking fully,” he added.
He makes it a degree to play a recreation of tennis when he is overseas for leisure or enterprise.
Tennis, which he deems “good to your soul,” not solely helps him unwind but additionally fulfils his social life.
“It does somewhat little bit of what going out to a pub would do for lots of people, you realize, which is assembly individuals, assembly your mates over a drink,” he mentioned, however “I really feel like I can try this on the tennis court docket.”
Hitting private targets
Mike Goldys, who lives in Florida, travels to surf abroad with a aim of taking part in in as many various surf parks as attainable. The 39-year-old has logged 140 hours to this point throughout 26 cities in 10 international locations.
“Every surf park … could be very distinctive for me. I … simply cannot get sufficient of it, he mentioned. “I need to maintain checking them off and seeing what this one was like on this state.”
“I not often return to the identical wave pool twice,” he added.
Goldys has spent $18,500 on surf periods alone, budgeting $6000 to $10,000 per journey relying on flights and lodging, he mentioned. He additionally units apart cash for pictures and videography to share on social platforms.
Mike Goldys browsing on the Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Seaside, USA.
Supply: Andrew Tonra
As a social media strategist at a non-profit group, he takes one to 2 weeks off for browsing journeys — solely tending to work issues for emergencies.
“If you pay to surf in a wave pool you are assured waves that they are actually highly effective and like fine condition… a technique to speed up progress,” he mentioned. “[It’s] very fast for somebody who would not have the proper waves on a regular basis” close to his residence in Florida.
At $170 an hour, surf parks aren’t low-cost. However Goldys insists they’re price it.
“So long as it would not put you in a foul place afterwards financially,” he mentioned.
