The origins of sport tourism are strictly associated with sport emerging as competition and a show. Its roots date back to ancient Greece. The 20th century marks a dynamic development of this branch of tourism, which uses sports shows as the main purpose for traveling. The concept of sport tourism should be narrowed down to those who passively participate in all kinds of sports events and to the actual participants of these events. Thus there will be two groups of people who can be called sports tourists. All kinds of sporting events are an important factor contributing to the development of regions, because they significantly affect the image of the place and are a strong factor in attracting tourists. Their effectiveness as a tourist product requires developing a long-term strategy which takes into account both economic and social aspects.