Sports Tourism literature review

In recent years, sport related travel or sport tourism has increasingly gained attention both among academics and practitioners. Sport tourism is described as travel for the purpose of participating in, watching, or venerating sport.

Small and Big Sport Events

Much of the existing literature has focused on event sport tourism, that is, travel associated with watching sports events, particularly mega or hallmark events. The term hallmark event refers to major fairs, expositions, cultural, and sporting events of international status which are held on either a regular or one time basis.

Hallmark events are generally thought to help position a host city as an international tourist destination and facilitate touristic activity in the years following the event. However, while some researchers have discussed the positive impacts of hallmark events, scholars have increasingly recognized the downsides associated with these events.

Thus, given the challenges associated with hallmark events, some scholars (J. Higham) suggested that small-scale sports events might be more likely to have positive effects for host communities. He defined small-scale sports events as "regular season sporting competitions (ice hockey, basketball, soccer, rugby leagues), international sporting fixtures, domestic competitions, or disabled sports, and the like".

Furthermore, Higham explained small-scale sports events usually operate within existing infrastructures, require minimal investments of public funds, are more manageable in terms of crowding and congestion compared to hallmark events, and seem to minimize the effects of seasonality.

College Sport as a Tourist Attraction

To date, the literature on small-scale sport events is sparse. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to the use of college sport as a community tourist attraction. In the US, college-sports events have the potential to increase city revenue and community spirit, while increasing traveler's awareness of the local community.

Researchers Irwin and Sandier were among the first to recognize the tourism-related potential of fans traveling to watch college-sports events. They concentrated their investigation on people who attended ten US collegiate championships. They found that fans spent the most on lodging and retail shopping and that fans with a particular team affiliation spent more time and money at the destination.