The role of voluntary sport organisations in leveraging the London 2012 sport participation legacy

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to understand the perceptions of national Voluntary Sport Organisations (VSOs) managers towards a mega sports event and identify the components they felt enhanced or inhibited their organisations capacity to implement a sport participation legacy. London 2012 was the first Olympic Games to explicitly attempt to deliver this type of legacy, and an exploratory, online mixed-method survey examined the perceptions of 105 senior managers from 37 VSOs, post-event. Principal Component Analysis identified four distinct factors: ‘objectives, standards & resources’, ‘event capitalisation & opportunities’, ‘monitoring & evaluation’ and ‘club engagement & implementation’, explaining 51.5% of the variance. Also, relevant organisational characteristics such as sport type, funding and sport size were examined to investigate the influence this had on their capacity. From these findings, the main recommendations are that future mega sport event hosts should: 1) Engage and consult with multiple stakeholders to engender sustained sport participation. 2) Set clear and monitorable objectives. 3) Establish funding and support mechanisms relevant to each sport. 4) Engage non-competing sports in the leveraging process. 5) Finally, event organisers should try to ensure personnel consistency.     

Assessing the contribution of a major cycle race to host communities in South Australia

The development of major sport events in rural areas offers opportunities for local communities to engage in leisure, sport and tourism activity. While current studies investigate the impact of sport events on residents individually, little research has taken a community perspective. The purpose of this research was to explore the process of event development and the impact upon social interactions in seven rural communities in the 2012 Tour Down Under cycling race in Australia. Using grounded theory to explore community activities, interviews and focus groups with over 100 participants resulted in the development of a core category of collaboration; and five subcategories to examine the role of the event in stimulating community interaction and social capital. A model of sport event development explains the impact of the event development process on community relations in this rural context. Implications are discussed for managing the relationships between communities and event management organisations.     

Research note sport tourism versus event tourism: Considerations on a necessary distinction and integration

Abstract

Interest in sport-related tourism increased perceptibly around the millennium, however, a comprehensive conceptual framework for a classification of sport (event) tourism is still missing. The predominant focus of sport tourism encompasses event-related touristic endeavors, such as mega sport events; however, an holistic approach to sport tourism suggests the need for further integration of other sub-areas such as nonevent-related components. This research note, therefore, provides a sport tourism perspective and a methodological approach to establishing the sport tourism cube as a necessary tool for the further distinction and integration of sport and event tourism. The research aim is, therefore, to build a foundation for further scientific research in sport tourism.     

A Missing Link in Understanding Revisit Intention—The Role of Motivation and Image

This study addresses two gaps in the research on tourist revisit intention: the impact of the pre-visit psychological factor of travel motivation and its relationship with destination image. Path analysis is adopted to examine the relationships among destination image, travel motivation, and revisit intention in a rural tourism context. A causal relationship is detected between three motivation dimensions, two image dimensions, and revisit intention. All three motivational constructs (intellectual, escape, and belonging) exert a significant influence on the cognitive dimension of image, whereas only the motivation construct of escape is significantly related to the affective dimension of image. A causal relationship is also identified between the affective dimension of image and revisit intention.     

Effects of the event and its destination image on sport tourists’ attachment and loyalty to a destination: the cases of the Chinese and U.S. Formula One Grand Prix

ABSTRACT

We aim to determine the antecedents of sport tourists’ loyalty toward both the event and destination. Data were collected from both the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix (n?=?361) and the 2017 U.S. Grand Prix (n?=?351). Then, the data were analyzed by using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results showed the image associated with the hosting destination and the event is positively related to the sport tourists’ attachment and loyalty. The outcome may be utilized in planning a recurring sport event that achieves higher sport tourist destination loyalty.     

Home of (or for?) Champions? The Politics of High-Performance/Elite and Community sport at New Zealand’s Home of Cycling

Abstract

Creating inclusiveness and user-friendly spaces is a challenge to any new sporting venue. This article explores the attempts by various ‘stakeholders’ involved in the production of the Avantidrome, New Zealand's ‘Home of Cycling’ to align the rhetorics with the realities for creating a new velodrome across its first 20 months of operation. More specifically, there exists a tension in the ‘selling’ of a sport-for-all model with the public construction of a high-performance, elite-use facility. In neoliberal times, such contradictions seemingly proliferate when public spending blends and blurs with corporate sponsorship and a results-driven framework for funding elite sport while being aligned with visions of community. Combining user interviews and sustained on-site ethnographic observations with Foucault's theories of power, we seek to understand how these multiple entities produced relational forms of power that resulted in efforts to accommodate both community-based and high performance models within the same cycling space.     

Influence of brand relationship on customer attitude toward integrated resort brands: a cognitive,affective, and conative perspective

ABSTRACT

Despite the significance of understanding customer behavior in the integrated resort setting, only limited research has been conducted on this topic. Thus, this study aims to identify and assess the antecedents of integrated resort brand loyalty from the perspective of Oliver’s cognitive, affective, and conative theory of attitudinal brand loyalty model. . A total of 443 respondents who had experienced integrated resorts participated and completed a survey questionnaire. A positive relationship was observed between two-way communication and brand attitude, emotional exchange and brand attitude, brand partner quality and brand attitude, and brand attitude and behavioral intention toward integrated resort brand. Results revealed the association between cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions and integrated resort brand value. This notion suggests that integrated resort brands carry a high awareness of relationship, and the brand will invoke an emotional value in customers. Therefore, integrated resorts should consider customer–brand relational aspects to achieve long-term success for the integrated resort brand.     

The Essential Role of Sense of Community in a Youth Sport Program

This multiphased study identifies the salient benefits that parents seek for their families from a youth sport program. Phase 1, a preseason focus group study of parents of swimmers in three clubs (N = 15), indicated parents seek a sense of community for their children and themselves, and sense of community is linked to their desire for children to learn sport and life skills. Phase 2, a postseason survey of parents in the same three clubs (N = 129), tested the relationships among coaching quality, friendships, organizational communication, sport and life skills, sense of community, parents' satisfaction, and their repeat purchase intention. Using path analysis, sense of community was identified as the key driver of satisfaction and repeat purchase intention, with swimming improvement also having a significant effect on satisfaction. These findings highlight the central role sense of community plays for participants and their families in youth sport contexts.     

The role of authenticity,experience quality,emotions, and satisfaction in a cultural heritage destination

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have shown the increasing importance of affective and subjective variables, such as experience quality, authenticity, and emotions in the formation of tourist satisfaction. This paper is a pioneer in jointly analysing the influence of authenticity in its double dimension, experience quality, and emotions variables on satisfaction in a cultural context. This study uses the structural equation modelling approach (Partial Least Square) and shows the direct and positive influence of objective and existential authenticity on the quality of the experience, as well as the direct and positive influence of the quality of experience on emotions. It is highly relevant to focus on both cognitive and affective dimensions of authenticity to improve the quality of the tourists’ experience. No previous studies in the literature examine the possible relationships between the different dimensions of authenticity on the quality of the experience and on emotions. The work reveals the importance of such variables in generating greater tourist satisfaction with the visited destination.     

Temporal manifestations of nostalgia: Le Tour de France

Nostalgia in sport tourism is increasingly understood as multifaceted. Early conceptualizations of nostalgia may be inadequate in explaining contemporary sport tourism. Utilising an organized tour of the 2011 Tour de France, a hybrid experience combining active cycling with passive spectating, interviews were conducted with 13 tour participants and two tour guides. A grounded theory model reflecting multiple dimensions of nostalgia across three trip phases is proposed. Pre-trip, nostalgia inspired participation. During the trip participants viewed and acted upon desires to engage with preconceived nostalgic images by cycling iconic mountains. Mementos and experiences were collected to facilitate future memories and aid nostalgic recollections post-trip. The study demonstrates how sport tourists adopt multiple, reflexive roles to enrich nostalgic value throughout a trip.     

Gambling: The misunderstood sport— a problem in social definition

Abstract

The prevailing social science perspective views gambling as a socially deviant activity with detrimental consequences for the individual and society. This paper presents an alternative perspective which views gambling as human play sharing much of the structural and functional components of acceptable sport activity. Gambling has conventional rules for defining participation, for determining legitimate winning and losing, and for judging expert performance. It also has regulatory commissions, standardized equipment, symbols, an element of sociability, and it promotes a collective validation of the basic values of society. This perspective allows the social scientist to examine gambling behavior in a theoretical framework which focuses on the features of gambling shared in common with other legitimate sport activity. This paper explores two popular forms of social gambling, race track and casino, showing how they reflect contemporary American culture while they provide recreation for players. We have found among recreational gamblers a well developed subculture that places their form of play directly in the mainstream of American values, despite the moral critics who proclaim gambling to be a major social problem. In fact, the gambling problem may be better understood as an ideological conflict between gamblers and the moral judges of the proprietary limits and functions of sports.     

The influence of political conflicts on country image and intention to visit: A study of Israel's image

This paper analyzes the image of Israel, a country subject to continuous conflicts, and the effect of a political event on its image. A measurement model is examined before and after a specific international incident, the Mavi Marmara conflict between Turkey and Israel, in order to understand how this event influences the image that the Turks have of Israel, as well as their intention to visit the place. The results confirm that, when people have previous animosity towards a nation, the image of this country is formed mainly through its affective component and not through its cognitive one. The research concludes that a political conflict between two countries significantly damages the country image through the affective component and boosts the previously held animosity. The incident also increases the negative influence of the affective image on the overall country image and on the intention to visit the place.     

A Path Analytic Model of Visitation Intention Involving Information Sources,Socio-Psychological Motivations,and Destination Image

Abstract

This study develops and tests a model to examine the organization of informational, motivational, and mental constructs on visitation intention in a path analytic framework. The findings indicated that variety (amount) and type of information sources used and socio-psychological travel motivations determine travelers' perceptual/cognitive evaluations that, in turn, form their affection (feelings) about tourist destinations. A traveler's intent to visit, then, is determined by a combination of perceptual/cognitive and affective evaluations, information sources used, and travel motivations. However, destination image (cognition and affect) appeared to mediate the relationship between visitation intention and stimuli (information sources) and consumer factors (socio-psychological travel motivations). Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed and future research areas are suggested to better understand travelers' destination selection process.     

体育旅游境外研究进展与展望

研究运用逻辑分析法、文献综述法,对境外体育旅游研究进行整理,围绕体育旅游的定义、分类、研究领域、研究方法、研究理论展开梳理与分析,并提出对未来体育旅游研究的展望。研究表明：（1）在体育旅游定义相关研究中,境外学者对体育旅游的定义并未统一。体育旅游的“属概念”和“种差概念”存在分歧,是造成其定义差异的主要原因;（2）在体育旅游分类相关研究中,境外学者根据不同分类标准得出不同结果,目前学者主要以活动类型、消费者需求、消费者目的和意愿为分类标准,仍存在较大局限性;（3）在体育旅游研究热门领域可以分为体育、赛事、发展进程、空间、影响、利益相关者六大维度,新兴领域主要为“中国”和“可持续发展”。在未来体育旅游研究中,学者们需要进一步开展问题导向下的跨学科交叉研究,进一步拓展和深化体育旅游的研究领域,学习和借鉴境外体育旅游发展研究的成功经验。     

Factors influencing destination image and visit intention among young women travellers: role of travel motivation,perceived risks,and travel constraints

There is literature detailing the effects of travel motivation, risks perceptions, and travel constraints on the destination image and travel behaviour of individuals. However, literature explaining these factors in the context of prospective young women travellers is scarce. This study empirically tests a comprehensive model of prospective young women’s travel behaviour, based on cognitive and affective perceptions about destination, travel motivations, perceived risks, and travel constraints. A quantitative study was performed on 370 young university women in Malaysia. The results revealed that the travel motivation of young women has positive effects on the cognitive and affective image, whereas the dimensions of perceived travel risks and travel constraints have negative effects on cognitive and affective destination images. The results also found that cognitive and affective images positively influence the visit intention of prospective young women travellers.     

Revisiting the host city: An empirical examination of sport involvement,place attachment,event satisfaction and spectator intentions at the London Olympics

This paper tests a model based on hypothesized relationships among sport involvement, place evaluations; at the level of venue and host city, and event satisfaction as antecedents of behavioral intentions. The relationships are explored among a sample of people attending the 2012 London Olympic Games (n = 603). Spectators completed questionnaires at event venues, providing responses at the place and time of the consumptive experience. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to determine the dimensions of the constructs and to test the validity of measurement items. The structural model indicated that sport involvement and place attachment influenced revisit intentions but this was not the case for event satisfaction. This suggests that although tourism will benefit when spectators experience a psychological connection with event venues, the Olympic Games offer a distinctive event experience that does not have a direct influence on intentions to revisit the host city.     

Resource Investments and Loyalty to Recreational Sport Tourism Event

ABSTRACT

Sport tourism events have a marketing possibility in the Japanese tourism industry. The ultramarathon is a very popular recreational sport event in the world. This type of sport tourism event has shared with completive and enjoyment factors in relation to participant's motivation. Loyalty is a very important factor with attendance to recreational sport events. Generally, as many researchers indicated, that participants' loyalty will lead to repeat attendance or purchase. However, there is no consensus as to how loyalty develops. In the files of recreational sport tourism event research, the process leading to participants' loyalty with a specific event is not evident.

The purpose of this article is to test a conceptual framework of the development of loyalty (Morais et al., 2004 Morais, D. B., Dorsch, M. J. and Backman, S. J. 2004. Can tourism providers buy their customers' loyalty? Examining the influence of customer-provider investments on loyalty. Journal of Travel Research, 42(3): 235–243. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) that is grounded in resource theory. According to the proposed model, when participants and organizers invest specific profiles of resources in each other, the participants tend to develop a bond with the customer and become dedicated to maintaining a stable relationship. The model is used to discuss the mixed results of current loyalty from recreational sport event tourists to organizers and to outline future research efforts.     

旅游宣传片的说服效应——基于危机情境的纵向跟踪实验研究

旅游宣传片是旅游目的地危机管理的重要营销工具,目前关于旅游宣传片说服效应的纵向跟踪研究缺乏。文章基于巴厘岛阿贡火山连续爆发事件,采用情境实验法探究不同类型旅游宣传片对潜在市场群体的说服效应。研究发现:全景综述型旅游宣传片的短期说服效应更好,危机主题导向型旅游宣传片的长期说服效应更好。在短期说服效应上,全景综述型旅游宣传片正向显著影响认知形象中的自然环境、娱乐活动、宗教氛围、旅游基础设施、感知安全、情感形象和行为意愿;危机主题导向型旅游宣传片正向显著影响认知形象中的宗教氛围、感知安全、情感形象和行为意愿。在长期说服效应上,危机主题导向型旅游宣传片正向显著影响认知形象中的宗教氛围、感知安全和行为意愿;全景综述型旅游宣传片正向显著影响认知形象中的宗教氛围和感知安全。文章为进一步了解旅游宣传片说服效应的时间效度提供了理论依据,也为危机情境中旅游目的地营销组织在旅游宣传片的营销与建设上提供了实践指导。     

Destination image and tourist behavioural intentions: A meta-analysis

This article aims to understand the relationship between destination image and tourist’s behavioural intention. In this study, we used a meta-analysis to synthesize the effects of destination image from 87 studies. The results reveal that destination image plays significant role in predicting tourist’s intentional behaviour, in different magnitudes. To be more precise, overall and affective images have the greatest impact on behavioural intention, followed by cognitive image. Of the different dimensions of behavioural intentions, destination image has the greatest impact on intention to recommend. Implications are provided for destination management and tourism researchers based on meta-analysis.     

Tourists’ hotel event experience and satisfaction: an integrative approach

ABSTRACT

Tourists’ hotel event experiences have received little attention in tourism research. By proposing an integrated model of expectation–confirmation theory (ECT) and the experience economy concept, this research explores the relationship between tourists’ event experience and their satisfaction regarding the hotel event setting. The hypothesized model was empirically validated using a sample of 663 tourists who experienced a holiday event at a resort hotel. Results confirmed that the integration of the experience economy and ECT provided a better understanding of tourists’ post-satisfaction in a pleasure-driven setting. This affective–cognitive approach advances the knowledge of tourists’ experiences and satisfaction at hotel events.