A Model Of Sporting Event Tourism As Economic Development

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present a moderated model of sport tourism as an economic development generator from a destination marketing perspective. The model takes into account the differing roles of sport tourism segments on the relationship between motivators of sport tourism and destinations outcomes.Design/methodology/approach - This conceptual paper presents a framework for explaining the differential impact of factors that influence sport tourism based on the tourist segment attracted to the destination.Findings - The proposed model, supported by extant literature, presents sport tourist types as moderating a variety of influencing factors that determine sport tourists' interest in visiting a destination and the resulting economic impact on a destination.Practical implications - Practical implications are discussed for managing and marketing destination-specific factors to appeal to different segments of the sport tourism market in order to maximize the economic impact of sport tourism.Originality/value - This conceptual model provides a contribution to tourism researchers by providing a comprehensive view of the complex nature of the factors that influence destination choice for different types of sports tourists and the possible economic outcomes that can result.