SPORTS EVENT TOURISM An Examination of Sports Event Tourist’s Behavior

SPORTS EVENT TOURISM An Examination of Sports Event Tourist’s Behavior

The purpose of this study is to examine sports event tourist’s characteristics and investigate food tourists’ behavior. Sports event tourism is a segment of tourism that has been flourishing in the recent years, and this research could provide substantial insight to sporting teams, host cities, event organizers, and the tourism industry. This study was conducted at a southeastern university in U.S. over a two-year period. The combination of qualitative and quantitative method was used with a series of questionnaire-interviews in order to gather information about the behaviors and attitudes within sporting events of the participants. The research findings indicated that sports event tourism has marketing and conceptual implications that could help foster the economic growth of local communities. This study also found that sporting event tourists often come to sporting events not only for entertainment, but also for leisure and relaxation. The current methodology is a beginning look into sports tourism in the United States, but its findings could be applied to larger areas with further research and development. By understanding how college football fans are motivated by their commitment and dedication to their team, we can use this same methodology to examine different sports around the world.