The Korea Times
Sports tourism is emerging as the travel industry’s next big hit in Korea, powered by fandom-driven travel trends, healthier lifestyles and a shift toward trips with a clear purpose. Once a niche for die-hard fans, “direct viewing” trips — in which travelers build their itinerary around a specific game or athlete — are now moving into the mainstream. From Gen Z office workers to middle‑aged sports lovers, more Koreans are choosing when and where to travel based on game schedules instead of cherry blossoms or shopping districts. Travel agencies are racing to catch up. NOL Universe, the country's largest tour operator, is currently developing five categories of sports‑focused products, ranging from European football league packages and U.S. professional sports such as MLB, NBA and NFL, to World Cup, Olympics and Asian Games cheering tours, fan meeting-linked products and motorsports trips. The company has already tested the waters with a fan meeting and live game tour built around national basketball team member Lee Hyun‑jung in Japan’s B.League early this year, followed
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