Jacksonville Jaguars' London Games Driving Surge in Business Travel Bookings
As sports tourism continues to grow globally, major sporting events like the NFL’s international games are also becoming key drivers of business travel. The Jacksonville Jaguars, in particular, have been at the forefront of this trend, having spent more time playing in the UK than any other NFL team. As they compete in London once again this year, the connection between sports and business travel is growing.
The Jaguars were the first NFL team to play two overseas games last season and have repeated that schedule this year, highlighting the growing importance of international events. These games represent a significant opportunity not just for the NFL but also for host cities, as business travel surrounding these events continues to surge.
Data sourced from Corporate Traveller and FCM Travel, two of Flight Centre’s flagship business travel managers, reveals that there’s been a 264 per cent increase in flights booked by business travellers from Jacksonville International Airport into Heathrow Airport. The data sourced was through an analysis of flights booked between October 8 – 21, compared to the two weeks prior (September 24 – October 7).
“Major sports events like the Jacksonville Jaguars’ games in London are creating enormous economic opportunities for cities,” said Donna Joines, Head of Corporate Traveller UK. “We’ve seen a 264 per cent increase in flights booked by business travellers during the Jaguars’ London games this October. As the official travel management provider for the Jaguars, Corporate Traveller is seeing first-hand how sports-related business travel is becoming a major growth area.”
The average length of trip for these Jacksonville business travellers has been 6.6 days, which is greater than the average amount of time away for a typical business travel trip (4.4 days).
“Bleisure travel is one of the key trends we’ve been seeing over the last year, with more and more business travellers taking advantage of their corporate trips and tagging a holiday on to the beginning or the end. But these extended business trips also benefits host cities through increased spending on accommodations, dining, and other services,” continued Joines.
Corporate Traveller’s Stage Screen and Sport division of the business provides high-touch travel management services and logistics to the entertainment, sports and creative industries. Clients include music and touring bands, orchestras and artists; film and TV production companies, performing arts and fashion clients, national and international sports teams.
About Corporate Traveller
Corporate Traveller is an award-winning business travel management and solutions provider for SMEs, operating in six global markets. Established in 1993 as Flight Centre Travel Group’s first corporate brand, Corporate Traveller has offered its personalised service, expert tailored advice, dedicated travel consultants, and advanced booking technology to more than 3,000 UK business customers. Offering an all-in-one innovative booking platform with the support of a personal travel consultant, Corporate Traveller makes travel simpler, faster, and easier for businesses. With a wide range of solutions available, Corporate Traveller can cater for simple requirements through to the most complex SME business travel management needs. For more information, visit https://www.corptraveller.com/en-gb