Partner love sport, but you don’t? Five great destinations you can both enjoy

Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the travel industry: about 10 per cent of all global travel expenditure is the result of someone watching or participating in a favourite sport, according to a UN report. But what about those you love who don’t share the same passion? We look at the best places to go for sports-mad fans, which offer just as much for those who really couldn’t care less. How’s that for a double-act?

Soccer: Barcelona, Spain

The game plan There’s no better city on Earth to fulfil your soccer fantasies. This is a city which lives for soccer – on match days, all of Barcelona goes crazy. Its Champions League outfit, FC Barcelona, is one of the world’s most popular teams and a visit to its home stadium, Camp Nou, is a pilgrimage for any soccer lover. Camp Nou will eventually have room for 105,000 fans, making it the largest stadium in Europe and the third-largest on Earth (the stadium extension is on track for completion in 2027). This isn’t simply a football team, it’s the bond every local shares. Gather with them at traditional soccer hang-out, Font de Canaletes, in Barcelona’s central pedestrian boulevard, La Rambla, or at any bar across the city on match day.

The escape Barcelona offers everything Spain is famous for – and it’s set beside party beaches on the Mediterranean. Wander through the Gothic Quarter’s tight alleys where Roman ruins sit beside high-energy tapas bars and out into sunlit plazas where street musicians play flamenco. Barcelona overflows with hedonism, Spanish-style. Don’t forget Gaudi’s masterpieces, especially his Sagrada Familia, the largest unfinished Catholic church on Earth. Then reconnect in the evening – with a sangria on the beach to watch a fiery sunset, before a night at bars and restaurants which won’t close until dawn. See barcelonaturisme.com

Cricket: Cape Town, South Africa

The game plan Australia returns to the scene of its most controversial cricket moment for the first time in eight years in September 2026, and the atmosphere will be intense to say the least. Cape Town’s Newlands Cricket Ground is considered one of the most recognisable and beautiful cricket venues on Earth, tucked below the city’s kilometre-high Table Mountain. In 2018, Australia was caught cheating here, using sandpaper to alter the cricket ball, to help our bowlers. This three-Test/three-ODI series will be the first game since Sandpaper Gate. Expect fireworks.

The escape Regularly touted as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Cape Town is home to Table Mountain which forms the backdrop to a stunning coastline, where you’ll find beach clubs, bars and restaurants set on sand (catch an ocean sunset here); while it’s easy to drive or take a tour south along a road which follows the coast to the very bottom of Africa. The nearby Cape Winelands – Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl – are also perfect for easy day trips, though the city itself is full of attractions. This is the country’s oldest city, with a mix of Dutch, French, English and Malaysian culture reflected in a strong dining – and arts – scene. Historic district, Bo-Kaap, will take a day alone to tour, or consider a ferry ride to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. See capetown.travel

Golf: Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

The game plan Scottsdale is to golfers what Disneyland is to pre-teens. This is the world’s true golf haven – there is no better place – even in Scotland – to play the planet’s best courses, all right beside each other. There are more than 200 golf courses within an hour’s drive here set among the high desert. And being in a desert, there’s more than 300 days of sunshine each year, and as a bonus, the dry air and high elevation make your ball go a lot further than back home. You’ll also have a pretty good chance of running into your favourite pro golfer: many live here year-round.

The escape Scottsdale has plenty to offer the golf widow or widower. They call this place the Beverly Hills of the south-west (of the US). You’ll find some of the best luxury resorts in Western USA, offering golf courses and some of the best day spas in America, all on site. Should you make it beyond your resort, Old Town Scottsdale is full of art galleries, restaurants, boutiques and cool-as-hell late night lounge and whiskey bars. There are more than 90 restaurants here, 300 boutique shops and 80 art galleries. Or if you’re looking to expend energy, the surrounding Sonoran Desert is full of hiking and biking trails, and there are operators offering everything from horse rides to hot-air balloon rides and e-bike tours. See experiencescottsdale.com

Skiing: Dolomites, Italy

The game plan If you’re a mad skier or snowboarder trying to plan a holiday with someone who’s not, no place on Earth will keep both of you as happy as the Dolomites. Spread across the Alps of Northern Italy, the Dolomiti Superski area is home to one of the world’s largest ski networks. It connects 12 ski zones, across more than 1200 kilometres of groomed runs, and it’s all among the most striking alpine scenery you’ll see anywhere in Europe (think: jagged peaks, sheer cliffs and blue alpine lakes). Ski from valley to valley without ever taking off your skis or snowboard, stopping for gourmet lunches along the way. There’s also well-equipped refugios between resorts, where skiers can stay high up in the mountains, skiing out next morning.

The escape The off-piste options are impressive. You’d come just for the villages here – Ortisei, Cortina d’Ampezzo, San Cassiano, Selva di Val Gardena – which are classic Italian medieval centres lined with boutique stores, wine bars, day spas and art galleries. You’d come just for the food, too. The Dolomites are home to the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in the skiing world – and they’re dotted among remote valleys with alpine views usually only a skier can access. And both skiers and non-skiers should ensure they have glass in hand each sunset to experience “enrosadira” – a natural phenomenon you won’t experience anywhere else, when the mountain peaks glow red and pink because of the unique mineral in the rock reflecting the sunlight. See dolomitisuperski.com

Cycling: Annecy, France

The game plan Perhaps the most spectacular leg of the Tour de France is just above the town of Annecy – and cycling fans can come and stay here to watch it, then attempt the toughest mountain climbs themselves after the athletes leave. Start with a 42-kilometre loop of Lake Annecy before building yourself up to the Tour de France’s most renowned climbs, just beyond town limits. Ride to Col de la Forclaz to get yourself acclimated, then keep going higher into the Alps. There are plenty of bike-hire companies in town.

The escape Often called the “Venice of the Alps”, Annecy’s beautifully preserved medieval old town with its cobbled streets is crisscrossed by canals and stone footbridges. It’s all built on a turquoise-coloured lake, with plenty of cafes and restaurants offering lake views, and hotels built just above the water.

Lake Annecy has the most Michelin-starred restaurants of all of Europe’s lake districts – the region is rich in Savoyard cuisine, so go on, treat yourself to raclette, tartiflette and fondue. It’s easy to get around too – once you arrive from Geneva (35 minutes’ drive), hire a bike or walk around town. Unlike the Alps above, it’s flat and easy to get around. See en.lac-annecy.com