Surf Tourism Research Articles

Understanding the authenticity of surf tourism: evidence from Chinese tourists

Surf tourism authenticity has received limited theoretical attention. This study analyzed the surf tourism authenticity and its development by investigating Chinese tourists’ online content using grounded theory modified by Corbin and Strauss. The findings concluded that surf tourism authenticity consists of objective and existential authenticity perceived by surf tourists. Objective authenticity is necessary for realizing existential authenticity, but passing the rite of struggle is a sufficient condition. Tourists’ physical and mental competence are decisive factors that interactively determine whether or not they are able to pass the rite of struggle. This study contributes to the literature by (1) introducing authenticity to depict the surf tourism experience; (2) highlighting the importance of objective authenticity alongside existential authenticity for understanding surf tourism authenticity and discussing these two elements from a holistic perspective; and (3) proposing the rite of struggle to promote a better understanding of the relationship between two authenticities.

Surf Tourism in Cold Water Destinations: Discovering destinations impacted by changing waterfront usage through VGI mapping

Surf destinations have been ascribed to tropical locations in the past but are moving into more cold-water climates, such as the Maine coast. In order for sustainable policy to be created in places like this. understanding which beaches are impacted by increased surf tourism is the place to start. This was accomplished through an analysis of social media photos using Voluntary Geographic Information mapping techniques. Density maps were created using Flickr/SmugMug photos from Maine with surfing tags in five-year increments from 2004-2024. The analysis indicates an increased spread of surfing throughout the coast with a concentration in certain locations indicating these destinations should be the focus of future research.

Factors shaping spectators’ consumption patterns: controversial arisings from an international sport tourism event

PurposeSport events’ contribution to the destinations’ local economy implies in-depth knowledge of the economic benefits generated by non-resident spectators (NRS). Thus, this study aims to answer: What is the profile and shaping factors of the consumption patterns of the several types of NRS in international surf tourism events?Design/methodology/approachA total of 263 questionnaires applied to the NRS of an international surf event were collected and analysed. The identification of the NRS profile and the predictive factors of their total expenditure were performed through the correlation of factors and multiple linear regression, respectively.FindingsMostly, the event attracted generation Y NRS, with a high level of education and regular sport practice. The results showed differences among the NRS: the “casuals” included more women than men; the “extensioners” integrated the NRS whose surfing practice is higher; the “event visitors”/”time switchers” mostly integrated the domestic tourism flows; the “casuals” and “extensioners” spent the most at the destination, and those whose intention to recommend/revisit the destination, respectively, was higher; and the shaping factor that most influenced the increase in NRS expenditure was the overnight stay, added by older age, higher education level and foreign origin.Originality/valueRegardless of the initial motivation that led to the trip to the destination, the results verified that the event’s attributes are capable of contributing to the recommendation/visitation of the destination. Consequently, the study of economic benefits (tangible and intangible) provided by sport events in destinations should be guided by an integrative analysis of NRS.

ANALISIS PENGEMBANGAN WISATA SELANCAR DI PANTAI PASIR PUTIH SAWARNA, BANTEN

Sawarna White Sand Beach is one of the beaches in Lebak Regency, which is located in the south of Java Island and directly adjacent to the Indian Ocean. It has surfing potential which is quite famous to foreign countries. It turns out that the existing tourism potential has not been properly supported by the community and local government, the management of tourism which is still lacking makes these tourism objects tend to be left behind and not managed properly. The purpose of this study is to determine the suitability and carrying capacity of the surfing tourism area at the Sawarna White Sand Beach tourist attraction, and to formulate alternative strategies that can be applied in developing surfing tourism at that location. This analysis uses the calculation of the suitability index formula for surfing tourism, the formula for the carrying capacity of the beach tourism area for the surfing category, and SOAR analysis. The results of the analysis that has been carried out show the results of the suitability value of surfing tourism in Surf Zone 1 of 95% which belongs to the S1 category (very suitable), while the suitability value of surfing tourism in Surf Zone 2 is 65% which belongs to the S2 category (suitable), with the carrying capacity of the surfing tourism area as measured along Surf Zone 1 and Surf Zone 2 is 65 people/day. As for the results of the analysis that has been carried out using the SOAR matrix, there are 3 leading alternative strategies that can be carried out in developing surfing tourism at the Sawarna White Sand Beach tourist attraction in the form of forming management and placing human resources in managing more complex and organized tourism objects, carrying out development the availability of supporting facilities for complete and sustainable surfing tourism, and also followed by tourism promotion through the provision of surfing championship events held at the Sawarna White Sand Beach tourist attraction.

Surfing Tourism Marketing Communication Through the "Bengkulu Surf Instagram" Account As a Promotional Media

This study aims to determine the role of the Bengkulu Surf Instagram account as a promotional medium in increasing surfing tourism at Tapak Paderi Bengkulu City. The purpose of this study was to find out Marketing Communication for Surfing Tourism Through Bengkulu Surf Instagram Accounts as a promotional medium (Studies on Surfing Tourism IG Accounts in Tapak Paderi Bengkulu City). The type of research used in this research is a research study with a qualitative descriptive approach. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the Bengkulu Surf account has used promotions through Instagram social media by utilizing Instagram features related to promotions (poromotion mix) in the form of addeveritising (advertising), public relations (public relations), sales promotion (sales) and personal selling (personal selling) maximize the promotion. Having features on Instagram adds to the advantage of promoting the @bengkulusurf account because it's easier and more efficient. This proves that Instagram is an online social media that is very appropriate in carrying out promotional activities.

A Study on Embodied Experience of Surfing Tourism Based on Grounded Theory-Take China's Hainan Province as an Example.

In the context of the rapid development of surfing tourism in China, the behavior explanation of surfing tourists has not attracted attention from the academic circle. Based on the theory of embodiment, this study takes surfing tourism in Hainan Province as the first case to explain the process and results of body experience in surfing tourism behavior. Based on the grounded theory analysis of the collected online travel notes and on-site interview text materials related to tourism experience, 21 categories and 6 main categories were extracted, and the story line of the surfing tourism experience was constructed based on embodied experience. The results show that the embodied phenomena and processes of the surfing tourism experience affect the quality of tourists' experience. Surfing tourists experience four typical processes, namely embodied perception, embodied awakening, embodied emotion and embodied extension, and represent the body's meaning, self-identity and social value through surfing behavior. The research theoretically proposes the embodied experience model and a new category of surfing tourism and provides a reference value for the practice of the surfing tourism industry.

The post-COVID-19 tourism recovery led by crisis-resistant tourists: Surf tourism preferences in the Canary Islands

The post-COVID-19 tourism recovery is most likely to be led by crisis-resistant tourists (Hajibaba, Gretzel, Leisch and Dolnicar, 2015). The surf tourism market is highly crisis resistant (Dolnicar and Fluker, 2003a) and has potential to expand during the pandemic (Mach and Ponting, 2021), especially with the advances in technologies for remote workers. In an attempt to answer Hritz and Franzidis' (2018) call for further research on this niche market in order to ascertain the significance of surf tourism in a particular community, we provide a baseline for surf tourism in terms of these niche preferences and satisfaction levels in Gran Canaria (Spain). The study is based on a discrete choice model that relies on preferences elicited through best-worst scaling methods. Our research demonstrates that the BWS scores can be used to develop a destination attribute quality index based on importance and satisfaction scales and provides important information to destination managers.

Gender, race and researcher positionality in decolonial surf tourism research: lessons from the field

ABSTRACT Current scholarship in the field of critical surf studies interrogates issues of gender, race and coloniality in global surfing tourism and culture. This literature focuses primarily on cultural discourse and tourism practice, yet has recently begun to examine researcher positionality in ethnographic and reflexive surf tourism research. As a novel empirical contribution to existing decolonial trends in surf tourism and intersectional surfeminist research, this article explores dynamics of gender, race and researcher positionality in conducting community-based participatory action research (PAR) in surfing tourism, through a year-long ethnographic project in Playa Hermosa de Cobano, Costa Rica. This contribution draws on discussions in feminist geography interrogating gendered and racialized dynamics in ethnographic and participatory research. Reflexive lessons from the field highlight the complexities associated with employing decolonial and poststructuralist feminist methods in critical surf tourism studies, particularly for white/white-assumed female-presenting researchers from the Global North working in Global South field contexts. These complexities include considerations of multiple researcher subjectivities related to postcolonial intersectional power dynamics in research team composition and throughout the PAR process.

Can surf culture foster loyalty towards surf destinations?

ABSTRACT The sport of surfing is gaining increasing importance in the context of tourism. Surf tourism has emerged as one promising product of certain regions worldwide. Surfing, as a sport and as a lifestyle, has been grounded in surf culture, which is recognized as a potential attraction factor for certain surf destinations. Although previous research has been undertaken in the field of surf tourism, the impact that the visitors’ perceptions of a destination’s surf culture have on the overall destination image and on loyalty towards that destination is not represented in the peer-reviewed literature. Therefore, a research model is proposed and tested, aiming to contribute to the advancement of knowledge regarding the relevance and influence of surf culture. A survey questionnaire was carried out among visitors to a surf destination in Portugal – Peniche (N = 430). The model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Results reveal that the perceptions of surf culture contribute to a better overall destination image and a higher loyalty towards the destination, with the overall image also having a positive impact on loyalty. However, different components of surf culture have distinct impacts on overall image and loyalty. The study provides important theoretical contributions in terms of surf culture and the components of a surf destination image, as well as offers useful insights for the development of effective management strategies for surf tourism destinations.

Interaction, Attentiveness, and Intimacy: Communicating with Waves in Surf Tourism

Surf tourism places are comprised not only of surfing activities but a myriad of actions and interactions on land and at sea of which surfing and surf tourism business are a part. However, surf tourism literature has rarely emphasized the presences of other modes of encountering and interacting with waves, such as fishing and seafaring, especially among local inhabitants. This article puts the emphasis on a broader everyday busyness of living in a surf tourism place, by paying attention to the various ways local people attend to and interact with waves in which they inhabit. The everyday of surf tourism is explored through field research conducted at Ebay, a typical surf tourism place located in Siberut, Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. Drawing on more-than-human and relational ontologies, the mundane relationalities between waves and humans are analyzed as everyday practices of attentiveness and interaction, through which the entangled actors—humans and waves—further cocreate the uneasy notion of intimacy. In addition to challenging the "Nirvanification" of surf tourism places by narrating less touristic and more mundane, everyday situations involving waves and humans, this study also furthers our understanding of communication and culture by showcasing the possibilities of understanding local interaction between humans and nonhumans in a tourism context.

Exploring the Potential Aspects of Surf Tourism in Egypt

Exploring the Potential Aspects of Surf Tourism in Egypt

Alternatives to Development in Surfing Tourism: A Diverse Economies Approach

ABSTRACT Responding to the socio-ecological impacts associated with conventional surfing tourism, the field of sustainable surf tourism (SST) promotes the sustainable development of Global South surfing destinations. However, while advancing community-based research and governance approaches, SST scholarship has yet to engage with a decolonial critique of the sustainable development paradigm, or employ decolonizing methods in empirical studies, representing a research gap this article endeavors to address. This study draws on a postdevelopment conceptual frame useful for reconsidering SST-for-sustainable-development models. Fieldwork in a Costa Rican surf tourism community employed participatory action research (PAR) aligned with decolonizing methodologies to explore alternatives to development in surfing tourism. Research outcomes and discussion examine the postcapitalist framework of diverse economies (Gibson-Graham, 2005) as a decolonial approach to SST research. Conclusions from this study contribute a field example from SST research to extend diverse economic frames and methods in sustainable and regenerative tourism.

Waves for development? Local perceptions on surf tourism retribution in Mentawai Islands

ABSTRACT This article is about the relation between surf tourism and development agenda. The implementation of surf tourism retribution in Mentawai Islands, Indonesia, offers an interesting case study to understand how surf tourism can coalesce with development agenda and policy. In this article, I record and narrate how local people in Siberut, Mentawai Islands, perceive the policy of surf tourism retribution under the guise of development narratives and in relation to local meanings of waves. Based on an ethnographic fieldwork, the research finds that the enforcement of surf tourism retribution has further complexified the notion of waves as resource among Mentawaians, as well as re-interrogated the idea of waves for socio-economic development in Mentawai. The re-interrogation process may hint that there is a disjuncture between rhetoric and practice of ‘waves for development’ policy on the islands. Aside from putting forward the importance of local people’s practices and perceptions in tourism, this article contributes to the body of literature on tourism–development nexus by adding the case study of surf tourism and retribution policy mechanism.

From shades of grey to Web of Science: a systematic review of surf tourism research in international journals (2011–2020)

ABSTRACT Previous research outlined the genesis of a new body of surf tourism research based on a wide array of gray and published literature (Martin, S. A., & Assenov, I. (2012). The genesis of a new body of sport tourism literature: A systematic review of surf tourism research (1997–2011). Journal of Sport and Tourism, 17(4), 257–287). The aim of this paper is to further investigate the development of the field through an evidence-based informetric analysis of international journal articles listed in Web of Science or Scopus databases. Employing a systematic review of journal papers published from 2011 to 2020, the study addresses the previous gray literature problem of accessibility and eligibility criteria for citation. Findings are drawn from explicit and tangential studies which capture an up-to-date overview of the evolution of surf tourism research. The study identifies active journals, authors, field locations, and leading areas of research, suggesting that the field has entered a period of ‘academic professionalization’. A bibliography of 96 journal articles presents academics and readers with a corpus of accessible research.

Surfing the waves: Environmental and socio-economic aspects of surf tourism and recreation

Marine ecosystems contribute to human well-being, e.g. through the promotion of nature-based recreational activities such as surfing, which is a benefit obtained from Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES). Our research objective is to identify the benefits and impacts associated to surfing, and who are the main affected subjects and/or objects, achieving a better understanding of the sustainability status of this recreational activity. To this end, a bibliometric study and systematic review was carried out for the period 1965–2021. Benefits and impacts were collated and grouped according to their dimensional focus and type of effects in 6 groups (3-dimensional focus × 2 type of effects). The results revealed that since the beginning of 21st century surfing research topics are growing and diversifying. This review shows that implications of surfing go beyond direct users (i.e., surfers) and has consequences in diverse dimensions (environmental, socio cultural and economic), involving many stakeholders (e.g., scientific, and local communities). Most of the pieces of evidence collated in this research were related with the people who practice the activity and its social implications (psychological benefits as main benefit and injuries as main impact). Following an interdisciplinary approach, we obtained a holistic understanding of the surfing activity, not only in terms of the different dimensions addressed but on the sectors of the society that obtain benefits or are impacted by the activity. All of them should be considered and integrated to guarantee the sustainable management of this CES benefit.

Local worker perspectives from Nicaraguan surf tourism: revisiting career anchors in non-standard work contexts

PurposeThis qualitative study explores, through the lens of Schein's (1978) career anchor theory, the internal career perceptions (self-perceived values, challenges and capabilities) of local surf workers in the highly internationalized sector of surf tourism in Nicaragua.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were carried out with 22 local surf tourism workers. Participant experiences were analyzed using thematic analysis to distinguish their career anchor orientations.FindingsThe results indicate the sustained value and instrumentality of Schein's original career anchor theory, specifically in terms of the interconnectedness of dominant and supporting anchors and the relevance of anchor groupings for workers in non-standard working environments. The anchors of lifestyle, entrepreneurial creativity, and security and stability were closely interrelated and complementary, as participants from this context were ultimately striving for security and stability.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should consider more explicitly the role of the socio-political, environmental or economic context in shaping the internal career self-concepts and experiences of workers.Practical implicationsThis study sheds light on the internal career drivers — the unique dilemmas, challenges, passions and motives — of local workers in a resource-constrained environment. Managers, business owners and other economic actors stand to gain important insights into the realities of workers they employ, but do not intimately understand. Such insights could be generalizable to a variety of work settings in which there are high material, social or cultural constraints.Social implicationsNon-standard work contexts and local worker voices are both thematically underrepresented in the careers scholarship. Research on these topics can contribute to broader discussions of sustainability, sustainable development goals and decolonial perspectives in social science scholarship. Bringing local workers from the Global South into view means turning scholarly attention towards less-visible “others” working alongside those having received the lion's share of academic discussion, i.e. expatriate workers on a global assignment or self-initiated expatriates, most often from the Global North.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to explore the career anchors of local workers in the Global South in a non-standard, non-bureaucratic vocational setting. The study sheds light on local workers' career decisions, an often-neglected perspective within international human resource management.

Planning Tourism in Protected Natural Areas: Safety, Soft Law and Conflict Management between Beach Users. The Case of Surf in Aljezur, Portugal

The intensification of tourism in coastal areas can increase planning problems, with potential conflicts amongst beach users affecting their safety perceptions and, ultimately, their tourist experience. Therefore, this constitutes an important concern for local authorities. The present study was conducted on an environmentally sensitive tourism destination located in a protected natural area in the Algarve, Portugal, with a quite significant level of surf tourism activities-the Aljezur municipality. In total, 245 surfers and 282 bathers were surveyed as these beach user groups have been observed to have a potential for intergroup conflict. Data were collected regarding their perceptions of personal safety, conflicts between beach users, and conflict management strategies. The respondents were also surveyed regarding how local authorities can provide strategies of soft law for a more sustainable management of surfing tourism. The findings revealed a consensus about the safety of Aljezur beaches and existence of perceived low conflict levels amongst beach users. The strategies more valued by respondents to promote surfing tourism development in the territory include the preservation of the natural resources and the developed of local regulation. Overall, these findings can be useful to the sustainable management of the surfing tourism in the territory.

Transnational Surfistas and the Development of Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast

This article weaves together data from the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR), online mainstream media sources, and surfing magazines, to tell the story of the development of the Emerald Coast, a historically overlooked periphery in southwestern Nicaragua that evolved into one of the country’s most high-profile and sought-after tourism destinations. The argument is that it is impossible to effectively explain the development of the Emerald Coast without first understanding the role surfing played in this phenomenon. This also serves to contextualize these foreign surfers as part of another wave of transnational engagement with Nicaragua, a country that has long been impacted by foreign actors from the United States and Europe. The convergence of opportunity – cultural, economic, and political forces – and environment facilitated the rise of Nicaragua’s surf tourism industry, which in turn engendered subsequent forms of leisure tourism. Over the course of three decades, this new industry shifted the economic focus of Nicaragua, as tourism became the leading contributor, in terms of revenue, to Nicaragua’s overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This article places foreign surfers at the center of this phenomenon by telling the story of the development and evolution of the Emerald Coast through the lens of surfing.

Exploring the Travel Behavior and Experiences of Norwegian Surfers: Cold-Versus Warm-Water Surfing

More affordable travel opportunities have facilitated a swift rise in surf tourism, which is a growing multibillion dollar global business niche within the broader sport tourism industry. It is argued that a growing number of surfers who are searching for the perfect wave without the crowds found in well-established surfing destinations are shifting to cold-water surfing. Previous research on surf tourism has largely focused on warm- and temperate-water surfing and related travel. However, an exploration of and an attempt to comprehend cold-water surf tourism and how it compares to similar activities in warm water has been overlooked. This study focuses on understanding the travel behavior and related experiences of Norwegian surf tourists domestically and internationally, to cold- and warm-water destinations. Data were collected using a phenomenological approach and semistructured in-depth interviews with 18 experienced Norwegian surfers. Results show that these surfers are highly mobile, visiting warm-water surf destinations such as Morocco, Bali, Australia, and Hawaii and also cold-water surf destinations such as Norway, Iceland, Scotland, and Canada. They travel to surf at least once a year, staying between 10 days and 3 months, preferably in cheap accommodation. The longer the travel distance, the longer the stay. Their experiences of "localism," where local surfers behave aggressively toward visiting surfers, were more common in crowded warm-water destinations. In addition to the enjoyment of surfing, these Norwegian surf tourists valued opportunities to create new social relationships, experience new and different cultures, and expand their "world-view" via their surf travel. They appreciated unique natural environments and experienced a deep connection to nature. This research presents the first empirical data on the travel behavior and related experiences of surf tourists from a nontraditional surfing nation in Scandinavia.

Local Worker Perspectives from Nicaraguan Surf Tourism: Revisiting Career Anchors

This qualitative study explores the internal careers of local workers in the highly internationalized sector of surf tourism using career anchor theory. The results of the study indicate the sustained value and instrumentality of Schein’s original career anchor theory. Specifically, the results suggest that the most common career anchors for our sample of local workers were lifestyle, security and stability, and entrepreneurial creativity. These findings provide valuable insights on the career anchors of workers in non-bureaucratic vocational settings and shed light on local workers’ career decisions, an often-neglected perspective within international human resource management.