Episode 20: High Yield Tourism Podcast
Find out how martial arts traditions such as sumo, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and capoeira can be leveraged as authentic, passion-driven tourism experiences that foster deeper cultural engagement and create higher economic value for destinations.
With:
Gary
Bowerman
Dr jensThraenhart
Listen to it now on your favourite podcast channels:
Summary
Where Martial Arts Meets Cultural Heritage & Participative Tourism
In this episode, Gary Bowerman and Dr. Jens Traenhart explore how martial arts and cultural fighting traditions can be developed into high-yield tourism experiences that highlight a country’s values, history, and identity. The discussion is rooted in Jens’s framework of passion tourism and micro-niches, where travelers pursue specific interests that generate strong economic benefits for destinations.
The starting point was Jens’s recent trip to Japan, where he encountered sumo wrestling tourism packages in Osaka. These went beyond watching a fight and included cultural add-ons like traditional meals, backstage access, and even the chance to challenge a sumo wrestler. This experience sparked the idea of examining martial arts as a tourism niche with both cultural and commercial potential.
The hosts emphasize that martial arts are not simply physical contests, but symbols of culture and philosophy, teaching values like discipline, respect, and resilience. Examples include:
Japan: Sumo, karate, kendo, judo, aikido, and archery (promoted under Budo Tourism).
Thailand: Muay Thai as part of its national identity and “five Fs” of soft power, deeply tied to music, rituals, and heritage.
Korea: Taekwondo, representing national values such as courtesy, perseverance, and integrity.
China: Kung Fu traditions at Shaolin Temple, often offered as immersive months-long programs.
Brazil: Jiu-Jitsu (fitness-oriented) and Capoeira (dance-combat form with cultural and artistic dimensions).
The podcast highlights that while fitness tourism is well established, the cultural immersion segment is often underdeveloped, even though it provides the highest returns. These travelers spend more, engage deeper with local communities, and often become advocates for the destination.
However, there are challenges:
Over-commercialization and cultural appropriation can turn away passionate travelers who seek authenticity.
Destinations must balance mass-market accessibility (e.g., packaged shows) with exclusive, immersive experiences (e.g., Shaolin Temple stays or selective Swiss watchmaking courses) to preserve authenticity.
The conversation also places martial arts tourism within the broader context of passion tourism. Like birdwatching or stargazing, martial arts can form part of a global circuit for enthusiasts, encouraging repeat travel across destinations such as Japan, Thailand, Korea, China, and Brazil. Jens suggests that destinations could collaborate internationally to target these “passion tribes.”
In conclusion, martial arts tourism demonstrates how destinations can use cultural strengths to design niche, high-yield strategies that move beyond mass tourism. By appealing to passion-driven travelers, destinations not only attract higher spending but also foster cultural exchange, loyalty, and community engagement.
Key Highlights
Martial arts are more than sport, they’re cultural symbols. Traditions like sumo, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and Capoeira embody history, rituals, values, and identity, making them powerful tools for cultural tourism.
Immersive packaging transforms experiences into tourism assets. Destinations that bundle fights with cultural add-ons—like meals, rituals, training, or backstage access—create richer, higher-yield offerings than simple spectator events.
High-yield tourism depends on depth, not just access. Offering immersive experiences—ceremonies, rituals, community ties—creates higher spending and loyalty, while over-commercialization risks turning enthusiasts away.
Passion tourism creates global travel circuits. Martial arts tourism fits into a broader model where enthusiasts pursue their passion across multiple destinations (like birdwatching or stargazing), offering opportunities for collaboration between countries.
High-Yield Tourism
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Singapore 049422
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