MIAMI, a city known for its vibrant culture, pristine beaches, and year-round sunshine, has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s premier sports tourism destinations.

Once primarily recognised for its lively night life and rich multicultural influences, Miami has successfully leveraged its geographic location, state-of-the-art facilities, and diverse entertainment offerings to attract a global audience of sports enthusiasts.

This transformation has been driven by a combination of strategic investments, high-profile events, and a thriving sports culture that continues to elevate the city’s status on the international stage.

At the front and centre of the transformative effort is the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, which for the past three decades has been positioning and leveraging the city’s sporting footprint to drive investment and tourism opportunities.

From Messi-mania to Miami Heat culture as Melina Martinez, the bureau’s marketing communications director for Latin America and the Caribbean said, the growth of sports has played a major role in Miami’s reputation as a major sports capital in the region.

“Our mission has always been to promote and market the destination in all aspects — from sports, to meetings to family travel — and it just so happens that sports have grown enormously in the last couple of years,” Martinez told the Sunday Observer during a recent familiarisation trip. “With our major teams like the Miami Heat, the Panthers, the Miami Marlins, Miami Dolphins, we have a lot to offer our consumers and it has become a pillar in what we’re promoting now in Miami.

“Every year we do different research and we do queries with all of our tourists that visit, and we’ve noticed that we have top markets now. We’ve got Argentina, Colombia, Brazil as top Latin American markets. In the United States we’ve got New York, Chicago, and Washington DC as top markets, but we’ve noticed that when it comes to sports it has been kind of like a multigenerational attraction.”

In recent years the city has played host to an impressive array of major sporting events, solidifying its reputation as a key player in the sports tourism industry. The Super Bowl, Miami Open, Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix, and major football tournaments such as Copa America 2024 have placed the destination at the forefront, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup also set to highlight Miami’s ever-growing football identity.

The arrival of global superstar Lionel Messi to MLS franchise Inter Miami is seen as a game changer, and the fast-approaching World Cup spectacle presents opportunities to further push the city’s sport tourism agenda.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase the destination. If people are coming here for a game, always our goal is for them to stay for additional days to enjoy our cultural neighbourhoods, to enjoy our Michelin-rated restaurants, to enjoy our famous beaches, and just soak in the culture that Miami offers,” Martinez shared.

“I think he [Messi] was a game changer. And what Inter Miami has done here in Miami and just in general in sports, nowadays — just about every kid you see on the street who has an extracurricular sport is playing soccer, and I think Messi has just increased the popularity of that sport. We have such a huge Latin American population that it just goes hand in hand. And since his arrival last summer we’ve seen the prices of the game, the popularity of the game, and the turnout increased twofold. I mean, it’s been pretty incredible.”

Martinez is hoping that sports-loving fans from the Caribbean and across the diaspora will take advantage of the city’s proximity and make the most of its sport offerings, while taking time to delve deeper into the culture.

“We know that a lot of our Caribbean visitors come for concerts, they come to do a lot of shopping, but there’s so much more that we offer beyond that. And it’s always our goal, whenever we travel and speak to the media, to let them know all that Miami has to offer for all budgets, for all price points, and for all tastes,” she said.

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi celebrates after winning the Leagues Cup final football match against Nashville SC at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 19, 2023. (Photo: AFP)

MARTINEZ…if people are coming here for a game, always our goal is for them to stay for additional days to enjoy our cultural neighbourhoods