On the occasion of the launch of Sport Routes, we met with Luigi Spera, President and Commercial Director of the association, to hear about the project’s origins and the goals for the coming months.
President, let’s start from the beginning: how did the idea for Sport Routes come about?
It came from a very simple observation: sports tourism in Italy is a huge, constantly growing sector, but extremely fragmented. There are companies, territories, facilities, events and tour operators all working independently, without a system connecting them. My partner and I realized that what was missing was an entity capable of acting as a connector, representing this world at an institutional level and turning isolated relationships into concrete projects. That’s where the idea of building Sport Routes started.
Why choose the form of a Social Promotion Association rather than, say, a private company?
Because we believe that to build a credible system — one that can engage with institutions and genuinely represent the interests of the supply chain — an associative, non-profit entity is needed, where resources are reinvested in the development of the ecosystem and its members. This doesn’t mean giving up on creating economic value for the businesses involved: it means doing it the right way, with transparency and solid governance.
What areas of sports tourism will Sport Routes focus on?
We operate across all the major dimensions of the sector: from active tourism — people traveling to practice sport themselves — to passive tourism linked to major events, as well as nostalgia tourism, adventure tourism, urban sport tourism and wellness tourism. These are very different worlds, but they all follow the same logic: sport is no longer a secondary part of travel, it has become the reason for travel itself.
Who exactly is Sport Routes aimed at? Who can become part of this ecosystem?
We’re aimed at companies in the sports and tourism sectors, territories, local authorities, operators, event organizers and institutions. For all of these, we offer institutional activities such as representation before Italian and European bodies, business development through trade fairs and business matching, support for entering priority foreign markets, and training and research activities including sector studies and market analysis.
What are the first concrete activities planned?
We’re working along three main lines: establishing the association’s structure and governance, with the activation of the first founding members; launching a flagship event, which will become the sector’s key meeting point; and starting institutional partnerships with strategic entities, territories and sponsors. These are the foundations on which we’ll build everything else.
Is there an aspect of the project you feel particularly attached to?
Yes — the fact that we’re not creating a one-off event, but a permanent system. Many sports tourism initiatives are launched and then fade after one or two editions. We want to build something that grows over time, becoming a stable reference point for the entire sector, both in Italy and on international markets.
A message for anyone reading this interview and wondering whether Sport Routes could be relevant to their business?
My invitation is simple: let’s talk. Whether it’s a company in the sports sector, a territory looking to showcase its excellence, or an institution interested in the topic, Sport Routes was created to be a meeting point. The more qualified players join this network, the more value is generated for everyone. We’re at the beginning of a journey, and there’s room to be protagonists, not spectators.
