Mini-breaks and medals: TUI sees surge in Gen-Z travellers taking part in Race-cations and sports tourism
Demand is growing among younger travellers, with almost 50% female attendance
Sports tourism is changing travel habits and extending the shoulder seasons
New sponsorship for Cyprus Marathon 2026 announced
TUI UK & I has seen a surge in bookings for sports tourism among savvy Gen-Z travellers who are now tying mini-breaks and marathons into one holiday. The travel giant has reported a shift in challenge-chasing travellers as for the first time, the largest age group to take park in the upcoming TUI Palma Marathon is Generation Z - 25–29 years old, which is a significant shift from the previous average of 40– 45 years.
And with the London Marathon reporting that more than a third of the 2026 entries are aged 18-29*, Gen Zs are now the up-and-coming generation tapping into ‘race-cations’. TUI also reported that female participation is also on the rise, with 46% of runners being female in October’s race.
“We’ve seen first-hand there is a massive appetite for 'race-cations' that combine athletic achievement with memorable stays. This year the TUI Palma Marathon Mallorca welcomed more than 9,000 participants from 76 countries and it was a completely sold-out event two months before the race.”
Since sponsoring the TUI Palma Marathon and Rhodes Marathon earlier this year, TUI has continued its involvement in the Mediterranean Marathons and has now announced its sponsorship of the TUI Cyprus Marathon which will be taking place in March 2026.
“We're making it simpler for travellers to experience bucket-list races across beautiful European destinations, and with distances starting from 5k, we're catering for serious competitors and casual runners alike.”
About TUI UK&I
Backed by a team of over 11,000 professionals and a network of 330 retail stores and independent travel agent partners, customers benefit from expert advice throughout their holiday experience. TUI Airways, part of TUI Airline, operates to over 75 destinations in 31 countries including Turkey, Greece, Cape Verde and Egypt with 70 aircraft from 23 UK and Ireland airports. We partner with over 45 leading airlines giving customers unmatched flexibility to find their perfect holiday whether it be Warsaw, New York or the Maldives. Our award-winning service is recognised by Good Housekeeping and trusted by customers with a 4.5 star Trustpilot rating. We were also awarded Best Travel Company for Accessible Holidays 2025 by Good Housekeeping.