Relationship of Demographic and Trip Characteristics to Visitor Spending: An Analysis of Sports Travel Visitors across Time

Abstract

This study measures the significance of demographic and trip characteristics in the spending pattern of a sports event visitor. An analysis over time was conducted of visitors to the 1995 and 1999 Alamo Bowl college football games. The only significant variables that related to increased spending per day were high income levels and the fact that the visitor was from out-of-state. Factors that decreased spending per day were longer trip duration, children in the party, and low to middle income ($0 to $75,000). Total party size, education level, marital status, and race/ethnicity were not significant factors in explaining visitor expenditures. The authors take the analysis a step further by suggesting a marketing application for bowl-game executives of the study's results.