Flash_on_English_for_Tourism

ID
7 Can you name these well-known international sporting events?

1 3 2 4

8 Read the text and check your answers.

Sports tourism to international sporting events is a growing trend in the tourism industry.

Probably the most popular international sporting events are bicycle races such as the annual Tour de France, which

attracts 12 to 15 million spectators along the route. Tourists are mostly domestic, but they still travel many kilometres

to watch and support their cycling heroes.

For international travellers the most popular events are the FIFA football World Cup and the Olympics, followed by the

European Football Championships. For instance, around 3. 18 million fans attended the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South

Africa, the first African nation to host the championship, and there are hopes for even more tourists at the 2014 World

Cup which will be held in football-crazy Brazil.

Other popular sporting events such as the Rugby Union World Cup and the Cricket World Cup, which both happen every

four years, and the Formula 1 Gran Prix also draw a large number of international visitors. The Monaco Grand Prix,

alongside the US Indy 500 (Indianapolis 500) and the French Le Mans, is one of the most famous motor racing fixtures

of the year, attracting 200 , 000 visitors in just four days!

So why do people like sports tourism? Surprisingly, the more sport we watch on TV, the more we want to watch live.

Sports tourism is much more appealing in general these days, as events offer more comfort and entertainment as well

as cheap travel options such as low-cost airlines. The kind of person participating in sports tourism r,ather depends on

the sport they're watching, but statistics show the majority are young, middle-class people aged 18-35. However, rugby

and cricket fans tend to be older and wealthier, athletics fans younger and on a tighter budget, while followers of formula

1, usually older, richer and male.

9 Read the text again and choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

1 Sports tourism is becoming

A expensive. B less popular. C more popular.

2 Most of the visitors to the Tour de France are

A foreign. B French. C local.

3 In 2010 South Africa was the first African host of

A the FIFA World Cup. B the Olympics. C the Rugby World Cup.

4 Indianapolis, Monaco and Le Mans are all venues for

A cricket. B motor racing. C horse-racing.

5 Sports tourism is more appealing nowadays because events offer more

A comfort. B discounts. C celebrities.

6 Genera Ily ath letics fa ns

A are older. B are women. C don't have a lot of money.

10 Read the text again and complete the table.

-..;..-----r--Sport Important Competitions When it takes place

--

1-- Type of tourists

cricket I

I domestic

World Cup

annually

every ~~-------four years --