Esports tourism is on a rapid rise. The market for esports is massive, estimated to reach 773 million users in 2025, according to data from Statista Market Insights. In addition, nearly 318 million people worldwide are considered “dedicated fans” of esports, a figure that increased more than 20% since 2022, according to a separate analysis of esports “viewers” from Statista, cited by DemandSage.
Qiddiya City, nestled in Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq mountains, is a futuristic city comprising a mix of high-energy entertainment attractions, sports complexes, cultural landmarks and residential neighbourhoods.
Qiddiya City is building an entire gaming and esports district, covering 183,100 square meters of arenas, facilities, and a variety of innovative technologies and platforms to facilitate gaming for everyone, not only professional esports players and avid fans, but also the uninitiated: the curious, the dabblers, and those who are just looking for a fun day out.
With sports tourism in general, people travel to attend football matches, tournaments, and so on. Esports is no different in the sense that fans want to be physically connected with their favorite players in person.
The esports culture is reflective of the blurred lines between the online and offline world, which is having an unprecedented influence on tourism with a new demographic. And its growth is reshaping the perspective of what gaming and esports culture really is. Fans are not only tuning in online; they’re traveling across borders to be part of the live experience.
According to a survey from Skift and Qiddiya City, 70% of Gen Z and Millennial travelers globally said that they would be interested in planning a trip around a gaming and esports event, either to play in a tournament or watch one.
