Sports Tourism Research Articles

Sports tourism downturn: The impact of COVID-19 on Chinese tourism among urban and rural residents under epidemic.

China's sports tourism has seen significant growth since the 2008 Olympics, only to be challenged by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This study aims to assess the impact of the pandemic on China's tourism and sports tourism, which are highly interrelated. Data and materials from 2019 to mid-2023 were systematically collected and analyzed, focusing on seasonal tourism reports published on official local networks in China. The study reveals a prepandemic annual tourism consumption of 6.63 trillion CNY, a 52.1% decline during the pandemic, and a postpandemic rebound exceeding pre-coronavirus disease levels. The pandemic's impact was profound, yet the resilience of China's tourism sector is evident, with a focus on the recovery's implications for sustainable growth. Despite the pandemic's disruption, China's tourism and sports tourism sectors have demonstrated resilience and potential for continued growth, warranting ongoing attention.

The Impact of Sports Tourism Motivation on Tourist Loyalty: The Chain Mediation Effect of Experience Quality and Tourist Satisfaction

ABSTRACTThis study adopts the perspective of the social exchange theory and S‐O‐R theory, taking the emotional bond formed between tourists and the tourism destination through interaction as a starting point. It introduces experience quality and tourist satisfaction to construct a chain mediation model of “tourist motivation—experience quality—tourist satisfaction—tourist loyalty” in the context of sports tourism. A total of 497 valid samples were collected for the study, and the hypotheses proposed were tested using AMOS 24 software. The research results indicate that sports tourism motivation, experience quality, and tourist satisfaction all have significant positive effects on tourist loyalty. Experience quality and tourist satisfaction have both independent and chain mediation effects between sports tourism motivation and tourist satisfaction. Finally, this paper discusses the implications of the research findings for theory and practice, the limitations of the study, and future research directions.

Transforming Event Experiences: The Role of Application Technology in Shaping Behavioral Intentions and Attachment to Places

ABSTRACTThis study develops an integrated model that investigates the impact of app technology on event experiences and subsequent consumer behaviors—place attachment, affective commitment, and behavioral intentions. In the context of sports tourism events, data were collected from 219 international participants during the 12th Transpyr race in 2022. Results suggest that perceived usefulness, information value, and perceived enjoyment are drivers of users' app satisfaction, though perceived ease of use did not directly impact app satisfaction. App satisfaction positively impacted event experiences, fostering place attachment, behavioral intention (intention to participate, word‐of‐mouth, electronic word‐of‐mouth), and affective commitment. Affective commitment also influenced behavioral intentions positively, unlike place attachment. This study extends the tourism and consumer behaviors literature. It also presents a new perspective on the TAM model by measuring the users' online experience and its impact on the event experience. Additionally, it provides event organizers with guidelines for building successful experiences.

Sports event quality and athlete’s behavioural intentions at the World Wrestling Championship

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic caused unpredictable times and led to changes in tourism, sporting society, and events organisations. Sports events were postponed or cancelled. Indeed, there was a need to reconstruct the event circumstances for safety reasons. Therefore, this study aimed to provide insights into relationships between sports event quality, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions (repeated destination visits, positive word-of-mouth communication) during the implementation of COVID-19 security risk measures. The sample included 150 athletes from the U23 World Wrestling Championship organised in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2021. The sport event quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions were measured with a questionnaire. The proposed model was assessed using a confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling using Smart PLS, SPSS, and AMOS. Results revealed a significant direct effect of the sport event quality (core dimension) and an indirect effect across satisfaction (tangibles and COVID-19 risk measures) on the athletes’ behavioural intentions. As wrestlers lived in a „bubble” and competed without spectators during the competition, it is not a surprise that the core dimension of service quality, including the competition itself, the opening ceremony, organisation, time schedule, medal ceremonies, and the total quality of the event, has a significant impact for wrestlers’ likelihood of coming back to the city or the country and to recommend the destination to others. Thisstudy contributes to advancing the general scientific knowledge concerning understanding sports events from the aspect of sports tourism and event organisation, especially in the post-COVID-19 era.

Analysis of the Peaks in the Bucegi Mountains, With Relevance for Sports Tourism Activities

Mountain peaks are geographical landmarks that arouse the interest of tourists practicing moun-tain tourism activities. Summiting a peak is an important reason, both for the views it offers over the landscape and for the personal satisfaction of reaching that point, which requires fitness and will. In addition to the recreational approach, the peaks can also be analyzed from a geo-morphometric point of view, concerning their shape, altitude, and prominence, aspects that matter in sports tourism activities. In this context, the present work aims to analyze the peaks of the Bucegi Mountains and establish their prominence. It is also aimed at the practical side of the problem, materialized through the methodological approach included in the research. Keywords: outdoor sport activities, mountain tourism, topographical prominence, key-saddle, parent-peak, sub-peak, lineage, orometric dominance, suspended syncline

Surf pool and urban development in Madrid: A social analysis of sports tourism infrastructure

Surf pool and urban development in Madrid: A social analysis of sports tourism infrastructure

How online reviews of sports tourism affect tourists’ value co-creation behavior: Findings from PLS-SEM, NCA, and fsQCA

Online reviews generated by digital technology play a significant role in promoting value co-creation among sports tourists. However, the existing literature on this relationship needs further research on the underlying influence processes. Based on the C-A-C framework, this study found that the characteristics of online reviews and reviewers significantly affect sports tourists' perceived value, shaping their destination identity and flow experience, thereby fostering value co-creation behavior. Sports tourists should not be completely unsatisfied with the perceived objectivity of online reviews. Instead, combining various antecedents is necessary for high levels of tourists' value co-creation behavior. Perceived aesthetics and professionalism were critical predictors across most configurations, with perceived value being a core condition. We identified five different configurations and further categorized them into three types, revealing the complex relationship between online reviews and sports tourists’ value co-creation behavior. The results provide valuable practical and theoretical insights for stakeholders in the sports tourism industry and highlight the pivotal role that online reviews play in enriching the value co-creation of sports tourism.

Research on New Quality Productivity Empowering High Quality Development of Sports Tourism

Research on New Quality Productivity Empowering High Quality Development of Sports Tourism

Fans' behaviour in selecting green accommodations

Sport tourism has become an increasingly popular global phenomenon, merging the allure of sporting events with the adventure of travel. Given the scale of such events and the transient spike in population they induce, it is crucial to consider sustainable practices, particularly in choosing accommodations. Green accommodations emerge as a key solution to mitigate the environmental footprint associated with sport tourism. This study investigates the behaviour of sports fans in selecting green accommodations, highlighting the increasing preference for environmentally responsible travel options in the context of sport tourism. Following the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this research assesses how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control influence fans’ decisions towards eco-friendly lodging. Data were collected from an open questionnaire distributed across diverse digital platforms in Italy. The online survey included questions aimed at investigating fans’ preferences and behaviours in selecting green accommodations. Key findings reveal that, while environmental sustainability is not always the primary factor in accommodation choice, there is a notable consciousness towards eco-friendly living among sports tourists. However, the booking of green accommodations often falls short of initial intentions due to factors like limited availability, higher costs, and insufficient information. This study proposes strategies for event organisers and policymakers to bridge this intention-behaviour gap, such as enhancing the visibility of green accommodations and offering incentives to promote sustainable choices. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of consumers’ behaviour in sustainable tourism and underscores the need for integrated efforts to facilitate more environmentally conscious decisions in sport-related travel.

EXPLORING THE MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING YOUTH ATTENDANCE AT BADMINTON MATCHES

Sports play a significant place in Malaysian culture, serving as both a spectator and participant activity. Organized badminton events have the potential to enhance sport tourism revenue by drawing in both local and international fans keen to support their favourite teams. Understanding the motivations of specific market segments, particularly the youth, is vital for effective sports industry marketing. However, a lack of motivation among youth to attend badminton events can lead to diminished interest in these events. Consequently, this study aims to examine the factors influencing the motivation of youth to attend badminton matches in Malaysia. The study's sample comprises 341 students from UUM, selected through convenience sampling technique. The findings reveal that self-esteem is the foremost motivation for attending badminton matches (mean=4.31), followed by factors of group (mean=4.30), family (mean=4.17), entertainment (mean=4.08), escape (mean=3.98), eustress (mean=3.94), and aesthetics (mean=3.37). Furthermore, most respondents identify as badminton fans, indicating potential growth opportunities for the badminton industry. Understanding fan motivations can enable the industry to better meet their needs, thereby contributing to its expansion and success. This study underscores the importance of engaging youth in badminton events to foster sustained interest and participation in sports tourism initiatives.

Soft Adventure and Spiritual Tourism: A Case Study of Khaptad National Park

Tourism for lifetime pride is adventure tourism. Khaptad National Park and its core area are the land of meditation of renounced (sage) Yogi Khaptad Baba. It is a natural beauty hub and centre of soft adventure tourism in Far West Nepal. The land is adventurous from different dimensions of tourism. Thus, to find out the elements of adventure tourism in the Khaptad area the study has been conducted. To explore the elements, the study has analyzed the attraction component of adventure tourism in the zone. It is a case study of Khaptad National Park, Nepal. The facts were collected through field observation, focus group discussion, and qualitative interviews on qualitative exploratory approach. From the review, discussion, and analysis, it was found that the land is perfectly suitable for high-altitude hiking, trekking, bird and butterfly watching, rock climbing, yoga, meditation, and snow sports. Any type of outdoor sports (Cricket, football, mountain biking, running, skiing, and many more) at cool high altitudes can be organized in the Khaptad. The land can be the milestone for Nepalese soft adventure sports tourism including spiritual, cultural, and eco-tourism. However, infrastructure tourism development in the pristine land must be as much as environmentally friendly. One ring road around the Khaptad National Park is advisable but motorable roads should be constructed upward to the plateau. It is the land like a natural heaven that must not be indulged by concretization and modernization.

Potential sports industry Segorogunung village: a strategy for the paragliding sport tourism development model

The objectives of this study are as follows: (1) Determine the opportunities, threats, vulnerabilities, and strengths of the paragliding hill as a tourist attraction in Segorogunung village; and (2) Establish a model strategy for the development of paragliding sport tourism in Segorogunung village. This research employs a qualitative descriptive case study methodology incorporating an embedded research approach. Utilizing a strategic management concept-based approach, qualitative descriptive and SWOT analyses are utilized in research data analysis. The research findings indicate the following: (1) The accumulated value of the strength factor is 1.758; the accumulated value of the vulnerability factor is -1.255; the accumulated value of the opportunity factor is 1.855; and the accumulated value of the threat factor is -1.445. (2) The cumulative IFAS score for the (3) The progressive strategy model for the development of sports tourism in Segorogunung village requires the following concrete steps: a). Implementation of the pentahelix framework to facilitate the growth and progress of paragliding sports tourism. B). Cultivating a shared sense of mutual respect, trust, accountability, and benefit; establishing cross-sector communication forums; developing master plans for development; and fostering management collaboration in order to implement a management system based on good governance. According to the findings of this study, paragliding as a sports tourism incentive in Segorogunung village achieves Quadrant I (progressive strategy model) classification. This circumstance is extremely advantageous for paragliding tourism administrators, the village administration, and the regional administration of the Karanganyar Regency. Keywords: Sports industry, Paragliding, Segorogunung Village, Sports tourism.

An Analysis of Linguistic Resources for Sports Tourism Media Discourse: A Case Study of the Women’s World Cup Final in Sydney

Sports have historically played a significant role in influencing travel, the twenty-first century witnessing a notable surge in sports tourism attributed largely to increasing globalisation and the pervasive influence of social media. International sports events hosted by countries and cities serve as potent platforms for tourist promotion, with meticulous attention to detail often reflected across various social media channels. Notably, recent editions of such events have seen women taking on crucial roles. This paper delves into the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final held in Sydney, Australia, in August 2023, analysing three distinct corpora to discern linguistic resources—the use of persuasion with personal pronouns and imperatives, among others—shaping tourism media discourse, specifically focusing on gender visibility and promotion of destination excellence. To conduct this research, we compiled a corpus of 11,549 words comprising webpages, online publications and tourism blogs, using AntConc software for the analysis. Our findings reveal that the media employ specific language choices to portray the event and its host city, projecting values such as teamwork and inclusion, often through community engagement. However, there exists an under-representation of coverage concerning sportswomen, with minimal linguistic patterns used to promote their visibility beyond the event’s title. Conversely, the host city receives extensive promotion. Consequently, this analysis serves as a pertinent case study contributing to the understanding of sports tourism media discourse representation.

Sustainable mobility and sports tourism: applying the theory of planned behaviour to football supporters

ABSTRACT Today, the importance of sustainable tourism has become a global issue. Sport tourism is a relatively recent area of focus, and football tourism is probably the most popular in leisure sport travel. Sustainable mobility is vital to reducing the environmental impact of sport tourism. Since attending football matches has a significant impact in terms of travel, this study investigated football spectators’ behaviours in relation to sustainable mobility. By administering approximately 1,500 questionnaires to French football supporters, this study explored what affects supporters’ decisions regarding mobility options. Based on the theory of planned behaviour, this study investigated the individual behaviour resulting from intentions, which in turn is influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. This study also considered the role played by other internal factors, such as environmental concerns. Using structural equation modelling, the results highlight that supporters’ attitudes and opinions, and their perceived control of the behaviour and society’s subjective norms influence their behavioural intention in relation to adopting sustainable mobility actions. This study recognizes the strong willingness to adopt green behaviours among football supporters, which football organizations and tourism actors should support.

Spatial analyses of crime in a host city: contextualizing current crime for future mega-event delivery in Los Angeles

ABSTRACT Winning the bid to host the Olympic Games and other large events offers host cities opportunities such as exposure, status, and tourism. However, hosting the events also include negative externalities impacting the local community and businesses. We examine the spatial distribution of crime in Los Angeles to expand upon the existing literature and corresponding theories that examine the relationship between crime and event sport tourism, as well as offer an applicable analysis of crime that can be used by future mega-event host cities to identify spaces potentially vulnerable to criminal activity. Spatial analysis of the incidents’ data was based on GIS embedded machine-learning analyses and a hot-spot statistical examination. Both analyses demonstrated a concentration of criminal incidents across different types in downtown Los Angeles and clusters of crimes in other areas of the city, some of which are near other venues that will be used in future mega-event delivery.

The relationship between sustainable values and the pro-environmental behaviour of outdoor sports tourism enthusiasts

ABSTRACT The prevalence of outdoor sports tourism has posed certain threats to the natural environment. In recent years, incidents of outdoor sports enthusiasts damaging ecological environments and historical sites have become increasingly common. Thus, it is imperative to encourage these enthusiasts to protect environmental ecosystems, and sustainability has become a priority consideration for those participating in outdoor sports tourism. This paper explores the multiple mediating roles of environmental knowledge and attitudes in the relationship between sustainable values and the pro-environmental behaviours of outdoor sports tourism enthusiasts. The study aims to provide references and suggestions for promoting environmentally responsible behaviours in outdoor sports tourism and to support the sustainable development of sports tourism in China and globally. The research targets outdoor sports tourism enthusiasts, analysing data from 1079 survey responses. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to test the direct and indirect effects between variables. The results indicate that sustainable values have a positive impact on environmental attitudes, environmental knowledge, and pro-environmental behaviours. Furthermore, environmental attitudes and knowledge play a positive mediating role between sustainable values and pro-environmental behaviours. Lastly, this paper offers substantial suggestions to promote the sustainable development of outdoor sports tourism.

Experiential learning in sport tourism curriculum: A case study at the university of the Algarve

Sport is an important activity for tourists when they travel away from home, and travel experiences are accompanied by different types of sport. This paper focuses on an innovative pedagogical approach based on experiential learning activities. With this study we intend to describe the context, the teaching and learning process, and a real case package proposal that was successfully implemented by a group of undergraduate students. This education approach has been developed for the last three academic years as part of a 3rd year module ‘Sport, Leisure and Tourism’ within Sports undergraduate degree at the University of Algarve (Portugal). The case study method and reflective portfolio, underpinned by experiential learning theory, were designed to create an authentic, enriching and transformative learning experience for all students. The authentic experiential learning had positive impact on the dynamics established in the classroom, where we could see active participation of the students. This education experience allowed the creation of a tourist sport package that fits the objectives of a specific hotel, and allows the diversity of their offer and the attraction of new senior clients.

Research on the Construction of Sports Tourism Belt and Interaction with Large Sports Events

As a new form of tourism growth, the sports tourism belt integrates sports activities and travel experiences, bringing new opportunities for local economic progress and the travel industry. This article conducts research and analysis on the concept, construction mode, and the impact of large-scale sports events on sports tourism belts, aiming to provide theoretical basis and practical reference for the further development of sports tourism belts.

Effects of transformative tourism activity on the mitigation of menopause symptoms and life satisfaction

AbstractThis study aims to determine whether five tourism activities have an impact on menopausal symptom relief and life satisfaction. This study surveyed 278 menopausal women experiencing menopausal symptoms, and after excluding two nonresponses, 276 responses were used in the final analysis. This study used confirmatory factor analysis to verify the validity of the measurement instruments and the fit of the research model. The results provided empirical evidence that cultural tourism, wellness tourism, sports tourism, and shopping tourism, except food tourism, have a positive impact on menopausal symptom relief and life satisfaction. This study successfully established a meaningful conceptual framework to understand the tourism activities that can lead to menopausal symptom relief and life satisfaction among menopausal women, beyond the existing literature that has only been studied in the field of leisure studies for middle‐aged and older adults.

Spatio-temporal variation and influencing factors of aero-sports tourism internet attention in Shaanxi Province, China

Despite China's building into a leading sporting nation and sport-tourism integration high-quality development strategy in the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, existing tourism studies seldom concern sport-tourism integration, especially their spatial hot spots and evolutional trend based on geospatial big data. This study aims to probe into the spatiality and the underlying mechanism of sport tourism through internet attention data in 2015, 2018, and 2021 by social network analysis, with a specific focus on aero-sports tourism. Shaanxi Province is chosen as the study site given its advantages of rich aero-sports tourism resources and various aero-sports modes (e.g., sky diving, paragliding, etc.). The results are concluded: (1) At the provincial scale, the aero-sports tourism internet attention shows a pattern of “strong in the middle and weak in the north and south”. (2) At the regional scale, the sub-group clusters within the three specific regions (Shanbei, Guanzhong, and Shannan) of Shaanxi Province turn to be inter-regional clusters. Guanzhong region, especially with Xi'an as the core, is dominant in connecting its peripheral area. Since 2016, the radiation effects of the Guanzhong Region have shown a homogeneous trend of yearly growth and effect strengthening, yet become loosely connected with a heterogeneous trend in 2021 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. (3) At the city scale, the core area of aero-sports tourism internet attention expanded from Xi'an and Xianyang to Yulin and Baoji from 2015 to 2021, resulting from urban economic strength and aviation flight camp club development. (4) The number of general aviation manufacturers, tourist attendance, and tourism revenue significantly affect aero-sports tourism internet attention.