by The global surfing tourism market involves travel to surfing hotspots and destinations. Popular surfing destinations offer world-class waves suited for beginners as well as professional surfers. Surfing tourism provides experiences to catch waves at some of the most scenic beaches located across Hawaiian islands, Australia’s Gold Coast, California Coast in the US, Bali in Indonesia and coastal towns in Portugal and Spain. Tourists prefer traveling to these destinations for surfing, learning surfing skills, to spend time with surfing communities and enjoy the beach culture. Surfing is becoming increasingly popular amongst the millennial population who view it as an adventure sport and lifestyle.
The Global Surfing Tourism Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 16.19 Bn in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.1% over the forecast period 2024 to 2031.
Surfing tourism experiences an upsurge with the growing number of surfers and adventurists exploring new surfing destinations. Popular surfing destinations worldwide continue expanding their tourism infrastructure such as surf camps and schools as well as accommodations to benefit from the rising surf travel trend.
Key Takeaways
Key players operating in the Global Surfing Tourism Market Demand are Driftwood Mentawai, 360° Travel – Sports Travel Agency, Perfect Wave, ZOCOTRAVEL , Wavehunters , Global Surf, Waterways Surf Adventures., Nomad Surfers, Atoll Travel, The Ocean Spell Surf Travel Agency, LUEX, Surf The Earth, World Surfaris, True Blue Travel, and CR Surf Travel Co. These players offer customized surf trips and packages to global hotspots tailored for different experience levels.
The demand for surfing tourism is growing owing to rising popularity of adventure travel and water sports amongst millennial travelers. Surfing provides health and recreational benefits leading to increased participation globally. Several new destinations are promoting their surfing infrastructure to tap into the thriving experience tourism segment.
Key surfing destinations worldwide are expanding operations and collaborating with local boardsports businesses to cater to the growing global demand. Countries like Indonesia, Portugal and Australia are making large investments to develop surfing infrastructure and training facilities to boost their share in the lucrative and growing global surfing tourism industry.
Market Key Trends
One of the key trends shaping the surfing tourism market is the emergence of glamping or glamourous camping near popular surf spots. Several destinations now offer luxury camping and safari-style accommodations integrated with amenities to attract experiential travelers. This allows tourists to spend more time at surf locations while enjoying comfortable stays. The blending of outdoor adventure with luxury experiences suits the evolving preferences of millennial surf travelers driving this key market trend.
Porter’s Analysis
Threat of new entrants: New players find it difficult to enter the market due to the high costs involved in setting up the required infrastructure and establishing brand identity.
Bargaining power of buyers: Buyers have high bargaining power as there are many destinations available for surfing tourism.
Bargaining power of suppliers: Accommodation providers and tour operators have moderate bargaining power as there are several options for tourists.
Threat of new substitutes: Other water and adventure sports can substitute surfing tourism.
Competitive rivalry: The market sees intense competition among existing players.
Geographical Regions
In terms of value, North America remains the leading region in the global surfing tourism market due to the presence of world-class surfing destinations in countries like the US and Mexico.
Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period owing to the increasing number of surfing destinations being developed and promoted across countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Australia. The region offers untouched surfing spots coupled with a tropical climate and relatively lower costs which is attracting a large number of surfing tourists.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
