Active event sport tourism experience: the role of the natural environment, safety and security in event business models

The connection between tourism development and the natural environment is more intense in outdoor sport tourism than in many other forms of tourism. Natural settings (space), sport activities undertaken and the motivations of the people who participate in them interact to create sport tourism experiences. Tourist safety and security are also proved to be important elements of a tourist experience and it seems that sport tourists may be more sensitive to safety issues than non-sport tourists. This paper therefore aims to analyse the importance of the natural environment and safety and security issues, as constitute event business model elements, in providing sport tourism experiences. The natural setting is also examined as a motivation to participate in sport tourism travel. On the basis of 464 questionnaires gathered from active participants of 16 small-scale sport events in four different outdoor sports, exploratory factor analysis was conducted on motivational statements and revealed a conceptually clear sevenfactor structure. One of them, titled ‘Nature’, was the second most important motivational dimension for participants but differences between particular sports were considerable. In terms of business model elements included in the survey, participants gave high importance to all elements related to the natural environment and safety and security. Scenic destination, scenic and interesting course, course safety and event safety were the most important elements of event business models for participants in all four sports. Environmental management and proper implementation of security and crowd control measures were also singled out as important event processes. However, results of ANOVA indicate statistically significant differences between the sports in seven out of nine business model elements. These findings shed some light on the managerial aspects of sport tourism practice, helping managers to better serve sports and tourism needs at a particular event and in the destination.

[1]  Chulwon Kim,et al.  Pro-environmental behavior in sport event tourism: roles of event attendees and destinations , 2015 .

[3]  Marko Perić,et al.  CONCEPTUALISING INNOVATIVE BUSINESS MODELS FOR SUSTAINABLE SPORT TOURISM , 2016 .

[4]  S. Guercini,et al.  New business models in online hotel distribution: emerging private sales versus leading IDS , 2013 .

[5]  Thomas J. Aicher,et al.  Individuals' motivation to participate in sport tourism: a self-determination theory perspective. , 2015 .

[6]  Saeed Nosratabadi,et al.  Recognizing the Business Models Types in Tourism Agencies: Utilizing the Cluster Analysis , 2015 .

[7]  J. Ritchie,et al.  The service experience in tourism , 1996 .

[8]  C. Cocklin,et al.  Conceptualizing a “Sustainability Business Model” , 2008 .

[9]  Longyu Shi,et al.  Evaluation of Shangri-La County’s tourism resources and ecotourism carrying capacity , 2015 .

[10]  J. Elbe,et al.  Has the experience economy arrived? The views of destination managers in three visitor-dependent areas , 2009 .

[11]  O. Gutiérrez,et al.  Carrying capacity assessment for tourist destinations. Methodology for the creation of synthetic indicators applied in a coastal area , 2012 .

[12]  Stan Maklan,et al.  Bridging the gap for destination extreme sports: A model of sports tourism customer experience , 2011 .

[13]  Daniel C. Funk,et al.  Exploring Destination Image, Experience and Revisit Intention: A Comparison of Sport and Non-Sport Tourist Perceptions , 2010 .

[14]  A Study on Innovations of E-business Models for Chinese Tourism Industry , 2010, 2010 International Forum on Information Technology and Applications.

[15]  Feifei Xu,et al.  Modelling attitudes to nature, tourism and sustainable development in national parks: A survey of visitors in China and the UK , 2014 .

[16]  C. Vogt,et al.  The Meaning and Measurement of a Sport Event Experience Among Active Sport Tourists , 2010 .

[17]  C. Breuer,et al.  The interrelationship between sport activities and the perceived winter sport experience , 2012 .

[18]  Faisal Hoque,et al.  The Alignment Effect: How to Get Real Business Value Out of Technology , 2002 .

[19]  F. D. Pineda,et al.  Spatial analysis of visitor preferences in the outdoor recreational niche of Mediterranean cultural landscapes , 2007, Environmental Conservation.

[20]  J. Higham,et al.  Sport Tourism Development , 2018 .

[21]  C. Kouthouris,et al.  Segmenting Winter Sport Tourists by Motivation: The Case of Recreational Skiers , 2009 .

[22]  B. Wirtz,et al.  Business Models: Origin, Development and Future Research Perspectives , 2016 .

[23]  T. Coles,et al.  Business models among SMTEs: identifying attitudes to environmental costs and their implications for sustainable tourism , 2017 .

[24]  X. Li,et al.  Does spatial layout matter to theme park tourism carrying capacity , 2017 .

[25]  H. Andreassen,et al.  Environmental attitudes associated with large-scale cultural differences, not local environmental conflicts , 2014, Environmental Conservation.

[26]  H. H. Sung.  Classification of Adventure Travelers: Behavior, Decision Making, and Target Markets , 2004 .

[27]  S. Dolnicar,et al.  Heterogeneity in risk and safety perceptions of international tourists , 2013 .

[28]  B. Bramwell,et al.  The characteristics and motivational decisions of outdoor adventure tourists: a review and analysis , 2016 .

[29]  Anders Gustafsson,et al.  How to create attractive and unique customer experiences: An application of Kano's theory of attractive quality to recreational tourism , 2010 .

[30]  Kathy Babiak,et al.  Corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability: Why professional sport is greening the playing field , 2013 .

[31]  S. Glyptis.  Sport and tourism in Western Europe. , 1982 .

[32]  Leon J. Mohan.  Effect of Destination Image on Attendance at Team Sporting Events , 2010 .

[33]  C. Prahalad,et al.  Co-creation experiences: The next practice in value creation , 2004 .

[34]  H. Gibson,et al.  Exploring the Trajectory of Active-Sport-Event Travel Careers: A Social Worlds Perspective , 2016 .

[35]  Gregor Hovemann,et al.  Motivation of active sport tourists in a German highland destination – a cross-seasonal comparison , 2016, Sport Tourism and Sustainable Destinations.

[36]  Y. Ko,et al.  Assessment of event quality in major spectator sports , 2011 .

[37]  Paul F. Williams,et al.  Close to the “edge”: Critical issues for adventure tourism operators , 2005 .

[38]  D. Getz,et al.  Serious sport tourism and event travel careers , 2011 .

[39]  Nicholas Wise,et al.  Understanding the delivery of experience: Conceptualising business models and sports tourism, assessing two case studies in Istria, Croatia , 2015 .

[40]  R. Amit,et al.  The Business Model: Recent Developments and Future Research , 2011 .

[41]  K. Kaplanidou,et al.  Event image perceptions among active and passive sports tourists at marathon races , 2010 .

[42]  R. Scolozzi,et al.  Mapping Alpine Landscape Values and Related Threats as Perceived by Tourists , 2015 .

[43]  O. Bastian,et al.  The appreciation of nature and landscape by tourism service providers and visitors in the Ore Mountains (Germany) , 2015 .

[44]  Mathew Joseph,et al.  A model of sporting event tourism as economic development , 2013 .

[45]  M. Weed.  Progress in sports tourism research? A meta-review and exploration of futures , 2009 .

[46]  M. Weed,et al.  Sports Tourism: Participants, Policy and Providers , 2003 .

[47]  M. Richardson,et al.  Identity in the “Road Racing Capital of the World”: heritage, geography and contested spaces , 2014 .

[48]  Tom Robinson,et al.  Sport and Tourism: A Conceptual Framework , 2003 .

[49]  Florian Lüdeke-Freund,et al.  Business Models for Sustainability , 2016 .

[50]  Clayton M. Christensen,et al.  Reinventing Your Business Model , 2008 .

[51]  D. Dragičević,et al.  Suggesting a service research agenda in sports tourism: working experience(s) into business models , 2017 .

[52]  Heather Gibson,et al.  Sport Tourism: A Critical Analysis of Research , 1998 .

[53]  Miguel Palacios,et al.  Service orientation: effectuating business model innovation , 2013 .

[54]  H. J. Smith,et al.  The power of business models , 2005 .

[55]  P. Bouchet,et al.  Sport tourism consumer experiences: a comprehensive model , 2004 .

[56]  Lez Rayman-Bacchus,et al.  Internet-based tourism services: business issues and trends , 2001 .

[57]  B. Saboori,et al.  Does security matter in tourism demand? , 2017 .

[58]  Ben K. Goh,et al.  Safety concerns of international shoppers in Las Vegas. , 2012 .

[59]  Paschal W. Soita.  Measuring Perceived Service Quality Using SERVQUAL: A Case Study of the Uganda Health and Fitness Sector , 2012 .

[60]  M. Walker,et al.  Environmental responsibility: internal motives and customer expectations of a winter sport provider , 2013 .

[61]  E. Halpenny,et al.  Sport cycling tourists’ setting preferences, appraisals and attachments , 2014 .

[62]  R. George.  Visitor perceptions of crime-safety and attitudes towards risk: The case of Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town , 2010 .