It’s not news that sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the travel industry. According to new research from the Sports, Events & Tourism Association, spectator sports tourism generated $47.1 billion in direct spending in 2024 with an overall economic impact of $114.4 billion. That doesn’t even factor in the economic impact of amateur and youth sports-related travel in the U.S., which continues to soar. It’s why communities across the country have and continue to invest in facilities and events that attract sports fans and families. It just makes economic sense.

So does finding ways to maximize the investment your community has made or is planning on making in a state-of-the-art multi-field complex. With the exponential growth of professional soccer across the country, one of the shrewdest ways to generate more revenue from that asset is to bring in a pro team as a tenant. As new teams look for welcoming markets and markets look to get their fair share, it’s a sports tourism strategy that works, as we’ll outline in this post.

Tourism Attraction

One of the fundamental benefits of having a community sports complex is the ability it provides to attract sports tourists — teams, families, and fans who travel regularly to attend games and tournaments. A single tournament can bring in thousands of spectators, most of whom necessarily spend money on accommodations, restaurants, and transportation as well. Add the draw of a professional team, with thousands of local and regional spectators per match, and you’re talking about millions more in economic impact over the course of a season. It turns your asset into an attraction.

Cost Sharing

Having a professional soccer team as part of your multi-field complex offers a built-in opportunity to share costs. Co-funding things like maintenance, upgrades, security, and technology through a lease agreement or public-private partnership can keep more recreation-related dollars in the community coffers, making the facility financially sustainable while ensuring high-quality amenities for both the team and the community.

Increased Use

If you want to maximize your investment in your community sports complex, you want to maximize use. We call it “making the facility sweat.” Having a professional team naturally drives increased use for things like training sessions, games, and special events. That means more revenue from everything from concessions and parking to facility rentals. And with a pro team anchor, local clubs, youth leagues, sports organizations, and tournament and event organizers will want to train and play in the same space, keeping your complex popular, busy, and profitable.

Space-Use Efficiency

When there’s only so much recreational space in the community, a shared-use model, where multiple groups and programs can take advantage of the same facilities, is ideal. Building separate venues for different levels of play, for example, just doesn’t make economic or logistical sense. The great thing about sports like soccer is that fields can be flexible and configurable. A smartly designed, well-appointed, and well-maintained multi-use facility can accommodate everyone from peewees to pros, saving your department’s budget and keeping land available for your next project.

Media Attention

Professional teams draw media attention at the local, regional, and national levels. Whether it’s the game broadcasts themselves or the news stories, highlight reels, interviews, and social media buzz that follow, all put a spotlight on the team and, by extension, the facility and the community. That media attention not only enhances the brand value of the complex, but it also raises the profile of the city and provides the kind of exposure that attracts additional visitors and drives further investment.

Sponsorship Interest

Where there’s media attention (i.e., eyeballs), there’s sponsor interest. Professional teams bring a level of visibility that’s highly attractive to local and regional businesses. That’s good for the complex and the community. The additional revenue you can generate through signage, digital content, and promotions can help you cover facility costs, enhance amenities, add programming, and increase the value of the property.

Profile Upgrade

When a professional team calls your community complex home, the facility increases its visibility. This elevated profile can position the city as a regional hub for soccer and other field sports, making it even more attractive to leagues, event organizers, camp and tournament hosts, and others. That means even more sports tourism and related economic activity. Having a pro team tenant also sends a signal to residents that your community’s complex is as valuable an investment as it is an in-demand destination.

Community Pride

There’s no question that professional sports teams foster a strong sense of identity and pride within their communities. Residents rally around their teams, attend games together, wear team gear, and create an indelible culture around their shared fandom. It drives youth participation, too. And a more engaged city is a more desirable place to live and work.

Economic Catalyst

Beyond direct spending by tourists, fans and sponsors, professional sports create a ripple effect across the local economy. Businesses near the complex — restaurants, hotels, retailers, and the like — see higher occupancy and sales on game days and beyond. That brings job and tax revenue increases. Over time, the economic boost sparked by a pro team can spur broader development as well, including new housing, mixed-use projects, and additional transportation infrastructure.

Attracting professional soccer to your community’s multi-field sports complex is more than a prestige move — it’s a way to get additional dividends from the investment you’ve already made or plan to make. From attracting more visitors and sharing costs, to boosting the facility’s profile and welcoming additional economic development, the benefits are tangible and can be far-reaching. In today’s competitive sports tourism landscape, communities that embrace strategic partnerships like these are better positioned to thrive. And soccer, with its global following, grassroots appeal, and growing American footprint, offers an especially compelling opportunity to enhance your legacy project’s community impact.