Welcome to the sportsmap.world blog! Here I'll be posting about sports tourism, as well as some of the challenges I faced building up the sportsmap.world main site.
First, some tips for planning and travel:
- Always verify event times and locations, which can change. For smaller leagues, search for the home team's website or contact their ticket office, if applicable.
- Acquiring tickets can be more difficult than you might expect, depending on the country, sport, and league. Most North American-based teams sell individual tickets via their website or a ticket seller like Ticketmaster, and seating is generally unrestricted; conversely, some European soccer teams may only sell tickets to their supporters club members, and supporters of the visiting team are seated separately. I've had the most success dealing directly with the home team's ticketing website. If you're not sure about the best way to acquire tickets, check with the home team's website or ticket office to verify details.
- Beware of third-party tickets resellers; watch out for scams, overpriced tickets, or deals that look too good to be true.
- Many sports tickets these days are distributed digitally; if that's the case for your event, make sure you're familiar with the digital ticketing system being used, and ensure that you can log in to retrieve your tickets ahead of time. It's a good idea to download digital tickets to your phone's wallet app, if available, for quick retrieval at the entry gate; or, print tickets with barcodes before leaving home.
- Be aware that different events can have widely disparate atmospheres. Some European soccer matches or American football matches might have rowdy and aggressive fans, and wouldn't be as suitable for families with small children or those who are looking for a more chill experience. If that's the case for you, consider checking out a smaller stadium, a lower-level league, or a sports that's not as popular with the locals. These smaller events can be just as fun!
- When visiting a foreign country, always be a good guest; when visiting a foreign stadium, be a good fan! Use public transportation when available; take in the atmosphere; get to know the locals; drink the local beers; and most of all, don't be a jerk.
Have fun planning, and bon voyage!
