Sports tourism, an economic development opportunity for Romania

• The share of athletes trying activities outside their home country increased by 101%
• Athletics has become a strong promoter of sports tourism
• Brașov Running Festival — competition that will promote Brașov and Romania in 146 countries

Sports tourism is a new concept in Romania and is at the beginning of its evolution, compared to the United States of America or Western European countries, where it contributes more and more to economic growth year after year.

According to the representatives of the Brasov Running Festival, in our country the sport has a tradition, being practiced, over the years, at the highest professional level, by world-famous athletes, but also by ordinary people who exercise for a healthy lifestyle. However, infrastructure, both general and specific, has not yet reached the appropriate standards to support a development to its true potential.

“Given these factors, sports tourism in Romania generally has an impact only locally, so the majority of tourists who travel for any reason related to a sporting activity are Romanians. However, with Romania's accession to the European Union, a favorable context has been created and Romania constantly strives to align itself with the required international standards, including in the field of sports”, says Daniel Santa, Director of the Brasvov Running Festival.

The importance of sports tourism in Romania is due to the fact that it can attract tourists from all over the world and can contribute to the economic development of the area where it is practiced, offering a wide range of possibilities that range from extreme sports such as climbing and paragliding, to less “intense” sports such as trekking, road or mountain running, cycling riding or riding.

An INSSE study* (July 2022) on the total tourist accommodation capacity at the national level shows that in 2022 Romania had a total capacity of 9,120 accommodation structures with a capacity of about 370,000 places, most of them being in Brasov (879 accommodation structures), Constanta (864) and Suceava (537).

“Professional organization of sports competitions is extremely beneficial both for the public image of the country, cities, and for local economic agents involved in the process of organizing events. The results mean income, at some point profit, increased employment and use of accommodation services, taxes and taxes collected to the state budget, jobs, but also an excellent image capital,” says Daniel Santa.

In this context, where Brasov ranks first in the number of accommodation units in the country, the choice of this city for the development of the sports niche is a natural step. Incidentally, this was also one of the reasons behind the launch of the Brasov Running Festival - a festival dedicated to running on the road, organized in Brasov, starting in 2021. The star race of this competition is the “TruSylvania International 10K”, accredited by the World Athletics Elite Label and thanks to which, it has gained an international reputation. Annually, athletes from the top 20 in the world meet at the START line, putting Brașov and Romania in the circuit of the most important running competitions in the world.

“I think Romania has a very good geographical position and good connections with most of Europe, making it easily accessible for European athletes, but also from the rest of the world, both professionals and amateurs. We just have to try to build experiences and events that attract. And for this, competitions must strive to gain global notoriety. An attractive element of competitions in Romania is also the one related to costs, both at the organizational level and in terms of participation fees, being able to offer the perfect mix of low costs vs. high satisfaction,” Daniel Santa said.

In fact, a 2022 strava.com study** shows that athletes are traveling more than ever, finding new ways to enjoy the pleasure of playing their favorite sport. The share of athletes trying activities outside their home country increased by 101% compared to the previous year.

If we relate strictly to athletics, it has gained more and more prominence in recent years. According to the latest data provided by the Nielsen Sports*** study reported in 2021 on a sample of 8,414 people in 10 countries, 4 out of 10 people declare themselves runners, of which 30% claim to run at least once a month. They prefer to run short and medium distances, up to 20 km.

In fact, according to ahotu.com****, in 2023, more than 52,000 running competitions will be held worldwide, of which approximately 11,400 in Europe. In our country, this year, many running competitions will be held, but of which only 5 races are certified by World Athletics.

Currently, the USA ranks first in the organization of athletics with more than 30,000 annual races, followed by France (6,714 races), Germany (1,075), Great Britain (987), Canada (688), Italy (483).

“All official information on the development of both general and sports tourism, as well as on the evolution of sports niches converge in the same place. Sports tourism is an area to be accessed and can bring major benefits to all parties involved,” said Daniel Santa.

“Definitely Brasov is the most suitable city in Romania to organize such an event. On the one hand, we are talking about a city with a solid tradition at the sports level. On the other hand, Brasov is in the top tourist destinations in the country. Sports tourism has grown steadily in recent years and we are glad that Brasov is already on the map of high-profile events. I wish success to the organizers and all those who want to start in the rehearsals of the Brasov Running Festival. Let the records fall!” said Allen Coliban, Mayor of Brasov.

Precisely for these reasons, for 2023, Brașov Running Festival will prepare a unique festival concept, in which elite and amateur races will merge with the atmosphere and vibe of a music festival, 3 cheering zones from which spectators will be able to watch the sports competitions, but also witness live performances of bands and DJs, as well as dedicated areas where the participants be able to move in as many forms as possible.

Registrations have already started for amateur and child athletes who can choose between 5KM and 10KM distances for adults, 800m,1200m and 3KM for children and juniors herein.

This year the event will take place between September 10-11 and around 3,000 athletes and 30,000 spectators are expected to attend. The competition will enjoy unprecedented international media coverage, with images from the event to be distributed in more than 146 countries through numerous TV channels, digital platforms and airline entertainment programs.

More about this year's edition can be found here

Details about how Brașov Running Festival 2022 was held can be viewed in the afterfilm here:

About Brașov Running Festival

Brașov Running Festival is an event dedicated to running, organized in Brașov, starting in 2021. It includes an annual 10 km road race, accredited by the World Athletics Elite Label, entitled “TruSylvania International 10K”. Beyond that, the competition contains a multitude of other races aimed at amateurs but also professionals. The races are run on a loop with a length of 3,494 m, using the same finish line, but with starting points that vary depending on the length of the stage.

The 2022 edition of the race, held on September 25, brought new records. He has never run so fast in Romania. Kenyan runners Nicholas Kimeli and Sheila Chepkirui won the 10KM time trial with times of 26:51 and 30:07. respectively. Kimeli's time established her as the fifth fastest 10KM runner of all time, and Chepkirui missed breaking the women's 10KM world record by just six seconds.

‍

* Regional Economic and Social Highlights - Territorial Statistics (book)
TOURIST ACCOMMODATION CAPACITY AS OF 31 July 2022
Expenditure of non-resident tourists in Romania, in the fourth quarter and the year 2022
** Diet - Year in Sports 2022
*** RECREATIONAL RUNNING CONSUMER RESEARCH STUDY
**** Ahotu