The American obsession with pickleball rages on. Last year, nearly 14 million people played pickleball in the U.S., according to a 2023 study by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. That’s a growth rate of almost 224% over the past three years, easily making pickleball the fastest-growing sport in the country since 2020.
Entrepreneurs and professional athletes have gotten in on the craze, and now, the travel industry is trying to capitalize. From cruise lines and traditional resorts to pickleball-specific vacation planners offering coaching in paradise, everyone seems to want a piece of the pickle pie.
Here are some money-saving tips and top places to look if you want to dink, drive and drop away from home.
1. ‘Dink’ on a pickleball cruise
Nowhere is the growth of pickleball more evident than on cruise ships.
In 2022, Carnival Cruise Line installed a dedicated pickleball court on the Carnival Conquest ship. Other companies have followed suit. Norwegian Cruise Lineoffers dedicated courts …