Introduction
Sports tourism entails traveling for the purpose of observing or participating in a sporting event away from your daily environment and routine engagements (Mclean, Hurd and Rogers 2008). More particularly, the sports event tourism solely encompasses visiting a city or a foreign country to watch sports event. For instance, the two most popular sports events in the world are the Olympics and the FIFA World based on their attendance (Egger and Maurer 2014). However, since the two-sport events occur once in every four years in different countries, it would take many years to host these events twice in a certain country. Consequently, some nations have devised plans to tap the benefits that result from sports tourism by holding sports events annually within their borders. For instance, the United States holds National Football League annually in different cities among other popular sports in the country. Similarly, several countries in Europe such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy among others are continually hosting football events in their respective countries.
The sports activities have evolved overtime, and the stakeholders have turned sports events to profitable businesses and marketing avenues. Nonetheless, sports tourism has received negative criticism owing to the decadence of the social values in the event’s destination. More specifically, it has been associated with prostitution and drug use while some celebrated sports persons engage in doping activities to increase their performance. Despite the vices, reliable statistics show that this form of tourism is growing at a high rate due to the increased sport marketing and public investments, although there exist an unexploited potential. Therefore, The Face of the Modern Sports Tourism is an ideal theme to foster comprehensive analysis of the benefits and the consequential impacts of sports tourism on culture, environment, traditions and ultimately on the entire economy. Additionally, the review will draw conclusions and recommendations particularly about future studies to advance the frontiers of the sports tourism.
2.0 Literature review
2.1 Discussion
Sports tourism has become a very attractive venture and a constructive way to spend time as well tour the world while enjoying one’s favorite sports events. Thereby, it has attracted many scholars into investigating the field in an effort to fill the gaps of knowledge with case studies in different parts where sports events have taken place all over the world. Agreeably, there are many ways to approach t sports tourism since it is a multi-industry concept. For instance, numerous scholars from varied fields such as marketing, designers, business analysts as well as psychologists have widely written on this subject.
In other instances, studies show that the governments and local authorities are taking active roles regarding providing guidelines and allocating resources to facilitate sport events. For instance, there are sports ministers and committees that specifically deal with sports events to ensure their smooth running by upgrading the facilities, review of policies as well as ensuring safety and health of both the participants the fans in many countries (Ritchie and Adair 2004). More particularly, the governments around the globe are working toward the integration of sports and tourism by involving the consultants from the two sectors on workable policies. Thus, there is policy review trend by the stakeholders in the sport and recreation industries to maximize on the benefits of sports event tourism (Hums and Maclean 2013). A case in point is the merger of the B.A.T and E.T.C that formed Visit Britain, which has been quite successful in boosting sports tourism (Ritchie 2004).
The government spending on sport related activities such as facilities and other supporting industries such as transport and accommodations has a positive effect on the growth of sports event tourism. Factually, all forms of tourism require these facilities, which catalyze the growth of the sector. Additionally, technology is also playing a major role through the digital sports marketing that is creating awareness on sports tourism globally. Based on the activities in taking place in the sector, growth potential is paramount. Therefore, investors should tap the demand created by the global millionaire, particularly, on golf sports tourism (Diniz 2014). The other indicator of potential growth in the sector is the growing number of spectators, the media personality and the specialists such as the medical personnel as well as the sports management who have continually increased in the sports events (Nauright and Parrish 2012). Furthermore, the emergent of sports to suit the needs of communities and nations such as sport for peace and development, as well as the continued efforts to fuse sports with the culture, will lead to more growth. Besides, international organizations have renewed their commitment to sports events due to the potential job opportunities available in the sector (Masteralexis, Barr and Hums 2015). All these activities will ultimately fuel significant growth in sports tourism.
2.3 Factors influencing the sport tourism
It is important to evaluate the factors influencing sport events consumers’ behavior to maximize on the constraints and optimally tap the benefits. Consequently, it would help the stakeholders in making the relevant plans as well as decisions, especially the sport event marketers who aim to increase the attendance of the foreign and local sports tourists. For instance, many studies agree that demographic patterns are core in determining the fans’ motivation (Shilbury, Westerbeek, Quick, Funk and Karg 2014). Precisely, research has indicated that males are more attracted to sports events in comparison their female counterparts. Thereby, the sports marketers should concentrate on targeting male audiences to maximize on the resources while at the same time investigate on ways to induce female fans to consume more on sports travels and events. Secondly, studies note that travel constraint is a significant factor in the sports tourism. Presumably, sport events’ consumers are a rational being, thus, they take into account the costs incurred in attending the events, leisure alternatives as well as interpersonal limitations in the sports event's destination. For instance, the consumers would have to compare the costs of traveling to Olympic Games in China to the cost of available alternatives. Moreover, other interpersonal limitations such as language barrier would also come to play in inducing a fan to take a sports event travel.
In other studies, studies postulate that travelers look into the available physical facilities in the destination (Riddick and Russell 2013). Therefore, tourists will maximize on the utility by seeking aesthetic benefits during their tour, thus, if the sporting event takes place in a city where there are sites and other major attractions, the numbers of tourist would be higher. Furthermore, positive destination image acts as a marketing icon to the prospective sport event tourists. Finally, the travelers' perception of a certain destination will have a significant effect on their motivation (Information Resources Management Association USA 2015). For instance, the consumers will prefer destinations with high security and elaborate human rights among other factors.
2.4 Impacts of sport tourism
While sports tourism is seasonal phenomena, studies confirm that its impacts are expansive and far reaching in equal measures with other forms of tourists. Agreeably, the impacts on society and culture are quite huge considering that there will be both multicultural and multilingual diversities. There is also behavior purchase in the sports tourism, and some may have adverse effects on the society. For instance, researches have postulated that increase in the level of prostitution, alcohol drinking and drug use as well as high crime rates (Ritchie and Adair 2004). Besides, the cities will experience traffic congestion due to a large number of visitors that lead to air pollution due to emissions. Further, large numbers of people produce more waste materials such as plastic cans that end up polluting the environment.
Nevertheless, studies are quick to point that the benefits outweigh the social and environment costs. Notably, the locals act as the ambassadors of the cultures and traditions of countries where these events occur. Consequently, these culture and traditions attract the travelers who may frequent the country long after the sports events. Primarily, there is optimization of locals’ and the travelers’ welfare as they watch their favorite sports, which increase their productivity in other spheres of life. Besides, the country builds a national identity as well as the unity of their citizens by holding sports events (Hinch and Higham 2011). While the city will experience congestions, the level of spending and consumption of local products and services drive the economic activity by meeting the demands of the visitors (Zhou 2011). Ultimately, there will be job creation due to the creation of new industries in the entertainment industry as well as optimal utilization of the existing resources such as hotel and restaurants facilities.
3.0Conclusion
The analysis of the review leads to several important conclusions. Firstly, it indicates that there is widely shared a consensus on the consequential benefits and growth potential of the sports tourism in the future based on the current activities. For instance, due to the high investment by the stakeholders and the integration of other industries such as marketing and culture fuel economic growth. Secondly, instituting the relevant policies will aid management of the sports events and the sports tourism by ensuring there are no conflicts of interests. The government has a major role in creating a successful sports tourism sector by investing in facilities that require huge capitals as well as providing the supporting public utilities such as transport means. Besides, the study has discovered that the field of sports tourism is not substantially covered; therefore, the investors are not aware of the available opportunities and the risks in the sector. Finally, the sports event employs a large number of people both directly and indirectly, which helps in growth and development of the economy.
4.0 Recommendation
Based on the findings of the review, several recommendations would help the stakeholders in the management of the sports tourism more effectively. Firstly, the government should review and develop working policies to integrate the tourism, culture and sports sectors. Still, the government should create a friendly environment for the investors by giving tax rebates and accessibility to affordable loans to promote sports tourism industry. Finally, the states and other organizations should fund studies in the field of sports tourism to determine the benefits and limitations in the sector. Eventually, investments related to the sports tourism will increase, and the entire economy will enjoy the consequential benefits in long-term.
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