A new national report ranks the Commonwealth fourth in the nation — twice — and Montgomery County is a big reason why.
Pennsylvania Lands in the Top Five for Sports Tourism
Pennsylvania just earned a pair of top-five finishes in the first-ever national report to measure both sides of sports tourism. Sports ETA’s 2026 State of the Industry Report ranked the Commonwealth fourth in the nation for participatory sporting events — think youth tournaments, amateur races, and club competitions — and fourth again for spectator sports, covering professional, minor league, and collegiate events.
Landing in the top five across both categories is rare. It signals that Pennsylvania isn’t just good at one type of sports tourism, but rather, it has built a balanced, high-performing ecosystem that draws visitors year-round.
Why This Year Is Different
2026 is shaping up to be Pennsylvania’s biggest year ever for major events. The Commonwealth is hosting the NFL Draft, NCAA March Madness, the PGA Championship, the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game, UFC 330, and America250PA — all in a single calendar year.
That kind of lineup doesn’t happen by accident.
Governor Shapiro’s administration has invested more than $57.5 million across the last two budgets specifically to prepare for 2026, including marketing, infrastructure, security, and event support. Visit PA’s funding has grown to nearly $60 million, and the state has rebranded itself as the “Great American Getaway” to capitalize on the national spotlight.
Montgomery County Is Leading the Way
Sports tourism isn’t just a statewide story — it’s deeply local, and Montgomery County is one of the strongest performers in the Commonwealth.
Sports is currently the fastest-growing segment of tourism in Montgomery County, accounting for 75 percent of all group business coming to the county and generating more than $70 million annually in economic impact. Valley Forge & Montgomery County hosted more than 100 sporting events in 2025 across 24 different sports. And the momentum isn’t slowing down — sporting events are scheduled in the county every single day from June 25 through July 13, 2026.
Visitor Numbers Are Climbing
Preliminary 2025 visitor data from Longwoods International shows the trend moving in the right direction. Last year, 21 percent of overnight visitors to Pennsylvania included a sporting event as part of their trip, up from 15 percent the year before. For day-trippers, 14 percent incorporated a sporting event into their visit, up from 13 percent.
Sports tourism is also driving an increasingly valuable form of visitation: weekday traffic. Events spread across the full calendar week — not just weekends — give destinations, hotels, and restaurants a more consistent stream of visitors throughout the year.
What’s Coming Up
PA Sports, the statewide coalition of sports tourism organizations, has a strong slate of events on the books for the rest of 2026, including:
- IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship — June 14, Happy Valley.
- Disc Golf Junior World Championship — July 7-11, Butler County.
- Federation of International Ninja Athletics World Championships — July 11-16, Hershey/Harrisburg.
- USGA US Junior Amateur Golf Championship — July 20-25, Lehigh Valley.
- State Games of America — July 24-Aug. 2, Happy Valley.
- Continental Youth Championships (largest youth Gaelic games tournament outside Ireland) — July 30-Aug. 2, Chester County.
- USGA US Amateur Golf Championship — Aug. 10-16, Delaware County and Valley Forge.
- Firefighter Challenge U.S. National Championship — Sept. 23-26, Erie.
The Bottom Line
Pennsylvania’s rise as a national sports tourism powerhouse is the result of deliberate investment, strong regional partnerships, and a growing calendar of events that span every level of competition. For Montgomery County, it’s validation of what the local sports and tourism community has been building for years.
To learn more about visiting Montgomery County or planning around upcoming events, head over to Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board.
