The FIFA World Cup may have the stadiums and the screaming fans, but Intrepid Travel is reminding travellers that sport does not always need a billion-dollar broadcast deal to be worth the trip.
Sometimes, it involves hugging a tree in the Finnish Arctic. Sometimes, it involves throwing metal discs at gunpowder in Colombia. And sometimes, in Scotland, it involves hurling an entire tree trunk through the air.
As World Cup fever puts global sport in the travel spotlight, Intrepid has rounded up seven alternative sporting events and traditions that give travellers a different way to experience local culture.
And while football fans are flying across the world for the big matches, these are the events that might just convince travellers to book a trip for the beautiful game’s slightly stranger cousins.
According to Wakefield Research data shared by Intrepid, 57 per cent of travellers say going off the beaten path or somewhere less travelled is important when planning a trip, while 43 per cent say attending local events or festivals is an important part of having a unique local experience.
In other words, travellers aren’t just looking for somewhere pretty to go. They are looking for something to be part of. Preferably something with atmosphere, local flavour and, in Colombia’s case, controlled explosions.
Naadam Festival, Mongolia
Held from 11 to 13 July each year, Mongolia’s Naadam Festival is one of the world’s oldest sporting events and brings together wrestling, archery and horse racing.
These were once considered essential skills for Mongol warriors, which does make most modern gym routines look a little underwhelming.
Travellers can experience the event on Intrepid’s 15-day Naadam Festival trip, which includes opportunities to go behind the scenes and meet competitors. Intrepid says bookings for the Mongolia Naadam Festival trip are up nine per cent year-on-year.
The Tree Hugging World Championships, Finland
Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like. And also, somehow, more serious.
Held in August in the HaliPuu forest in the Finnish Arctic, the Tree Hugging World Championships were created to raise awareness of forest conservation. Competitors from around the world gather to compete for the title of Tree Hugging World Champion, proving once again that Finland understands niche tourism at a level the rest of us can only admire.
Travellers can meet the family behind the championships, who also host Intrepid’s Arctic Cocooning experience, on the operator’s five-day Finnish Lapland Winter Family Holiday.
Calcio Storico Fiorentino, Italy
Florence may be best known for art, architecture and excellent carbohydrates, but each June it also becomes home to one of Europe’s most dramatic historic sporting traditions.
Calcio Storico Fiorentino is part football, part rugby and part wrestling, with teams from the city’s historic districts competing in a fiercely contested match that would give the FIFA World Cup a run for its money.
The event culminates in a championship final on 24 June each year, with travellers visiting Florence in June able to secure tickets to see the centuries-old spectacle in person.
Tejo, Colombia
Colombia’s national sport, Tejo, asks an important question: what if lawn bowls had more gunpowder?
The game sees players throw metal discs across a clay court at targets containing small packets of gunpowder, which explode on impact. It’s target sport, but with a soundtrack.
Travellers can try Tejo on several Intrepid itineraries, including Best of Colombia, Essential Colombia, Cafe Colombia and Colombia Adventure & Lost City Trek.
Highland Games, Scotland
The Highland Games have long celebrated Scottish culture through music, tradition and feats of strength.
Held from May to September, the games include events such as tossing the caber, which involves throwing a large wooden pole that looks suspiciously like a tree trunk.
Travellers on Intrepid’s Premium Scotland and Essential Scotland trips can gain deeper insight into the tradition through their local guide, with Intrepid’s Tailor Made team able to help time departures to coincide with selected games.
Baseball, South Korea
For travellers who think they know baseball, South Korea’s professional league offers a very different kind of match-day experience.
The league is famous for choreographed fan chants, cheer squads and passionate local rivalries, creating one of the most energetic stadium atmospheres in Asia.
Travellers can attend a local baseball game as an optional activity on Intrepid’s eight-day South Korea Family Holiday and nine-day Essential South Korea trips.
Kabaddi, India
Kabaddi may not yet have the global profile of football or cricket, but in India it remains one of the country’s most enduring traditional sports.
Popular across northern India, the fast-paced, full-contact game combines elements of tag, wrestling and rugby. Which is another way of saying it is probably harder than it looks, and it already looks hard.
Travellers can attend a local kabaddi match as an optional activity in Jaipur during the cooler season from October to March on Intrepid’s North India Highlights trip.
For travel advisors, Intrepid’s list is a timely reminder that sporting travel does not have to begin and end with the world’s biggest tournaments.
Sometimes the strongest reason to travel is not a famous stadium or a finals ticket, but a local tradition that gives visitors a front-row seat to culture, community and a slightly unexpected competitive spirit.
And if that competitive spirit happens to involve hugging a tree, throwing gunpowder or watching someone toss a caber across a field, all the better.
KARRYON UNPACKS: The World Cup halo gives sellers a timely reason to talk experiential travel, and this list turns that interest into concrete itineraries with dates already attached. For clients chasing something beyond the guidebook, an exploding disc game in Colombia or a tree-hugging title in the Arctic is exactly the kind of story that sells the trip around it.
