TOP 5 SPORTS TRAVEL TRENDS FOR 2026
What to expect in the world of sports and travel over the next 12 monthsTHE LANDSCAPE OF PRO SPORTS TRAVEL CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AT PACE.
1. SUSTAINABILITY TAKES THE STAGE
The pressure on elite sports organisations to reduce their carbon footprint will continue to rise in 2026. Expect teams and leagues to implement more concrete measures to minimise travel-related emissions, moving beyond carbon offset programmes to fundamental changes in how they approach logistics.
Major football clubs and organisations are already opting for rail travel over short-haul flights where feasible, particularly in Europe, where high-speed rail networks make this practical. For example, at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, multiple national teams – including Germany, Portugal, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and England – chose to travel by train or coach within Switzerland instead of flying.
There’s also a surge in demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) options for flights, despite the premium costs involved. In March 2025, Scandinavian Airlines partnered with the Alpine World Cup Åre 2025 to provide SAF for travel of around 500 athletes and team members. Expect similar initiatives throughout 2026.
The ultimate challenge for the industry is balancing sustainability goals with the often non-negotiable requirements of athletic performance and cost. That’s why sophisticated online booking tools, like Gray Dawes’ YourTrip, will become increasingly valuable due to their ability to show carbon impact alongside travel costs, allowing travel bookers to make more informed decisions.
2. BIOMETRIC HEALTH INTEGRATIONS
The blending of sports science and travel management will likely become more important in 2026. Teams are no longer satisfied with just booking flights and hotels, they want to ensure that the entire travel experience is tailored with athlete performance and recovery in mind.
Biometric data from wearable devices is now routine in the world of sports. NCAA athletes report that around 80% of teams use wearable biometric tracking technology. The question is how travel management companies can use these insights to customise everything from seat selection on a flight based on an athlete’s stress markers to the choice of hotel room based on sleep quality (e.g. away from a noisy lift).
Sports science departments of elite teams can now ensure that travel schedules account for circadian rhythm disruption, with arrival times and light exposure carefully managed to minimise jet lag impact on performance. As such, a personal, “outside-the-box” approach to sports travel management is an absolute must. No one size fits all.
3. INCREASE IN HYBRID TEAM TRAVEL
The traditional approach towards team travel, where entire squads travel together, may shift in 2026, particularly in sports with dense fixture schedules.
Coaching staff and medical personnel might need to arrive at destinations earlier to prepare facilities and conduct reconnaissance, while playing squads could travel closer to match day. Reserve players and development squad members may travel on different itineraries entirely, allowing organisations to manage costs in more unique ways while still meeting competitive requirements.
This trend could be further accelerated by the continued normalisation of remote work. Team meetings, video analysis sessions, and tactical briefings that once required in-person attendance can now happen virtually, reducing the need for large travelling parties.
However, this creates new complexity Coordination of multiple itineraries across different groups, each with unique requirements, while ensuring everyone arrives at the right place at the right time. But while the logistics might be more intricate, the cost savings could prove significant.
YOUR EXPERISE IS ALSO OUR EXPERTISE
4. ENHANCED SECURITY ON THE MOVE
Protecting athlete privacy and security during travel will continue to remain paramount in 2026. This includes a growing responsibility for sports TMCs to uphold duty of care for their travellers.
Teams, particularly those containing high-profile sporting stars, routinely coordinate with specialised security consultants to conduct threat assessments for destinations, arrange secure ground transportation with pre-cleared routes, and work with hotels to ensure private check-ins and secured floor access.
Digital security has also become a critical consideration. Organisations are implementing cybersecurity best practices during international travel, particularly when visiting countries with different data protection standards. This includes guidance on device usage, secure communication channels, and protecting sensitive team information (via VPNs for example) while crossing borders.
The challenge for TMCs is to show that they can make travel safe and secure without making the experience feel oppressive or restrictive for athletes. This includes proactive communication from real humans so that athletes feel supported and safe.
5. EXPANSION OF GLOBAL FIXTURES
Major leagues are hosting more international fixtures, preseason tours span multiple continents, and the calendar of global sporting events is more congested than ever. This is only going to increase in 2026.
This expansion means intercontinental travel that would have been the exception a decade ago is now routine. A Premier League club might play a midweek European fixture in Istanbul before returning to London for a weekend domestic match, then immediately departing for a rescheduled fixture in Newcastle. An NBA team might complete a West Coast road trip, return home for a single game, then depart for a series of international exhibitions in Asia.
In fact, Premier League clubs are estimated to travel a total of about 45,356 miles (73,000 km) across all away fixtures in the 2025/26 season, according to data from FBREF.
These complex requirements require strong relationships with travel suppliers, from flight operators to hotels, to ensure travel is as flexible as possible. It also requires a deep knowledge of international regulations, visa requirements, and customs procedures. It’s why the specialist expertise of our sports travel experts at Gray Dawes Sports is so valuable, particularly when one wrong move could derail an entire trip.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
All of this points to more complex and multi-faceted travel, one in which the value of experienced travel managers who understand the unique demands of sport will really shine. Put simply, success in 2026 will require far more than booking flights or hotels – it will be defined by travel experiences which place value on athlete performance and wider issues beyond saving costs.