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Research · As of November 2026
Leisure & Sports Facilities
Sport and leisure are among the few uses with steadily growing demand for space. They are changing the tenant mix of retail properties and filling space that retail gives up. Key figures with a focus on Austria and a comparison with Germany, location factors and outlook.
Key figures
The market in eight figures – and why it is gaining importance.
gross value added of sport in the broader sense in Austria – around 6% of economic output, one of the highest levels in the EU.
Sport satellite account, reference year 2019members of Austrian fitness facilities in 2025 – up from around 0.7 m in 2014: almost double.
WKO; European Health & Fitness Market Report 2015of the population in Austria are members of a fitness facility (2014: 8.2%); Germany stands at 14.8%.
WKO, key data 2025; DSSV 2026revenue of the Austrian fitness industry in 2024 (+6.5%), up from €554 m in 2018.
WKO, key data 2025of people in Austria do sport regularly – above the EU average of 38%.
Eurobarometer, 2022Germany: from 4.4 m fitness members in 2003 to 12.36 m in 2025.
DSSV, key data 2026padel courts in Austria – the first opened in 2014 in Vienna’s Prater.
Industry survey, 2026shopping centre in Germany already houses a gym.
EHI Shopping Center Report 2024Significance of the asset class
In Austria, sport is an economic sector on the scale of the construction industry: with €24.1 bn of gross value added in the broader sense and around 15,000 sports clubs with more than 2.1 million members, it shapes consumption, tourism and the labour market – almost a third of value added in accommodation and food services is sport-related. At the same time, activity is increasingly shifting to commercial facilities: gyms, climbing and padel halls, indoor golf.
It is precisely this shift that generates demand for space. Commercial operators need easily accessible, weather-independent space in metropolitan areas – and occupy halls, retail park and shopping centre units that retail gives up. As investments, they remain operator-run properties: value and financeability depend on concept, credit standing and lease, often with turnover-based components.
Growth
Twice as many people work out as 20 years ago.
Twenty years ago, the gym was a niche offering; today, fitness training is the form of exercise with the most members in Germany, ahead of football. In Germany, penetration has more than doubled since 2005; in Austria it has risen from just over 8% to almost 14% since 2014 – and is approaching the German level.
Growth is driven by health awareness, prevention and younger target groups for whom training is part of their lifestyle. New formats such as padel – in Austria from zero to almost 500 courts in around ten years – show how quickly a trend turns into demand for space.
Share of the population with a fitness membership
Tenant mix
Leisure replaces fashion as anchor tenant.
The tenant mix of retail properties is changing structurally. Clothing and consumer electronics are losing space; food and beverage, entertainment, sport and services are gaining. More and more shopping centres are reducing their retail space and turning to mixed use – one in three German centres already has a gym.
Leisure users are thus turning from gap-fillers into anchor tenants. For owners, this means new requirements for ceiling heights, loads, sound insulation and opening hours – and a careful review of the operator’s credit standing.
Expected development of lettable area in shopping centres
Location factors
What makes a leisure property viable.
Leisure projects rarely fail because of demand, more often because of the site: zoning, emissions or access.
Catchment & accessibility
Footfall is generated in metropolitan areas – with motorway, public transport links and sufficient parking.
- Urban edge with motorway access
- Synergies with retail and leisure locations
- Clarify parking ratio early
Zoning & permitting
The zoning category determines usability and timeline – it varies according to provincial spatial planning law.
- Commercial or special-purpose zoning
- Noise, light and traffic reports
- Height and distance requirements
Operator & lease
The lease is the value driver of the property.
- Operator’s credit standing and concept
- Term, fixed rent and turnover share
- Alternative use of the hall
Reference: we secured Topgolf’s first location in Austria – market research in several federal provinces, acquisition of a brownfield property of more than 30,000 m² in Brunn am Gebirge under an exclusive mandate, involvement in the permitting procedures. Opened in January 2025.
Development & outlook
Outlook 2027: leisure becomes the reuse.
Our assessment based on the data cited and our transaction experience.
Demand
Fitness penetration in Austria is still slightly below the German level but growing faster. We expect this trend to continue – driven by health awareness and younger target groups.
Reuse
Vacant retail, retail park and hall space is increasingly being converted for sport and leisure. This stabilises locations and increases their footfall.
Consolidation
In young segments such as padel, a large pipeline meets a market still under construction. We expect consolidation in favour of multi-site operators.
Business parks
Leisure users fill units in parks that are too small or too close to the city for logistics – provided zoning and fire protection allow it.
Financing
Operator-run properties remain higher-yielding and riskier than conventional commercial real estate; sale-and-leaseback is becoming a growth tool for operators.
Planning a leisure or sports facility – or looking for occupiers for your site?
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