ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SPORTS TOURISM : A NEW CONCEPT

DR.VIJAY LAXMAN MHASKE

Dircetor of Physical Education & Sports

Sharadchandra Pawar Mahavidyalaya, Lonand, Satara (Maharashtra)

Email - mhaskevijay9@gmail.com

 Abstract

Tourism is one of the  leading foreign exchange earners and therefore there is need for more emphasis towards its development and marketing. Sports tourism is emerging as a key component of tourism supply. Major tourism destinations are developing tourism product concepts revolving around pleasure sports. Sports tourism is still a ‘new’ phenomenon and very little research has been done in this field. The term ‘Sports Tourism’ basically means tourism that is based on the theme of sports. It refers to a specific travel outside the usual environment for either passive or active involvement in competitive sport.

Introduction

Tourism plays an important role in accelerating economic growth and is currently one of the largest industries in the world (Roche et al., 2013). One of the fastest growing travels is tourism related to sports or exercise, where sport tourism is one of the most extensively studied (Chalip, 2001; Gibson, 1998). Recent infrastructure environments and facilities at various locations have become very similar (Pike, 2013). Sport event tourism has become an activity that enhances the potential of cities or countries to compete in this globalized world (Kolb, 2006; Wäsche et al., 2013). It is also important to know that tourists are interested in sport tend to spend more, stay longer duration and stimulating the tourism sector so as well. Hritz and Ross (2010) said that sports tourism is a journey from one place to another where a sport event is organized, which has become popular among sports-oriented tourists and generating local business benefits.

Economic Impact of Sports Tourism

The sports tourism industry is a new concept plays an important role in the economies of all countries in the global, as it can generate substantial income for the nation and create jobs for the entire population. It is also an industry that contributes to other businesses, which contributes to investment, employment, and distribution of income to the local community. Sport tourism is a relatively new concept in terms of contemporary vernacular. Sports Tourism is a well organised sector and major revenue churner in several nations around the world like UK, Germany, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia etc. Sport tourism is a fast growing sector of the global travel industry and equates to $600 Billion a year India has always been big in the tourism industry because of its extreme diversity. However, India’s sports tourism is also carving a niche for itself in Indian tourism industry, attracting many adventurers to grab flights to India. With adequate support from relevant authorities, sports tourism in India is indeed gaining immense prominence and popularity. People from different parts of the globe have started looking towards India as a world class holiday destination with top of the line sporting infrastructure. Sports tourism in India is also being encouraged by the tourism providers in India.the Indian Premier League (IPL), which commenced in 2008, successfully attracting Indian and international spectators generating great volume of outbound traffic for Sports Tourism. Indians today travel abroad to watch a broad range of sporting events including cricket, soccer, tennis and Formula One. India is a huge country with an extremely varied topography. Be it skiing on the great Himalayan ranges, bicycling on the wobbly Indian roads or rafting on gushing rivers – India holidays offers a range of opportunities to its visitors to test out their sporting skills! As quoted by the World Tourism Organization, by the year 2020, it is expected that India will become the leader in the tourism industry in South Asia, with about 8.9 million arrivals1. Of late the Indian tourism economy has been deemed as the second-most rapidly increasing (8.8 %) tourism economy in the world, by World Travel and Tourism Council. On the other hand, India’s sports tourism industry is facing  by numerous challenges. Clark and Misener, (2015) argued that sports tourism positively impact on  economic, community, recreation and tourism benefits as well as increased employment, social and human capital and city improvements. Gallagher et al. (2015) have found out economic development of a range of local businesses and conservation and research initiatives were also stimulated by this sports tourism practice.  Higham and Hinch (2003) acknowledge sports as an attraction to cultural tourists.Hritz and Ross, (2010) reviewed that, cultural identity and social interaction opportunities are also positive impacts of sports tourism practices. Elliott (2008) has shown that the televised production of England's cricket tour to the West Indies increased ongoing package tourism to those islands by as much as 60 percent. Williams and Fidgeon (2008), acknowledge that ,the growing numbers of travel companies that now produce brochures to advertise their Sports and adventure holidays for example, white-water rafting through the Arctic, Scuba diving in Kenya, or trekking in Nepal, testify to the increasing interest in “sports tourism. Weed & Bull, (2004), found out the The relationship between sports and tourism in the modern world is symbiotic. (Gibson, 2008), indicates that ,sports tourism by offering an ever-increasing range of valued visitor experience; tourism also aids sports. (Hinch& Higham, (2004) argued that, Sports and tourism are now inextricably linked, and as globalisation advances, new and exciting possibilities are opening up to enrich tourist experiences through sports and enhance sports development through tourism. Higham &Hinch, (2009) found that, Changes in the international travel market are leading to an increasing variety of tourist types, needs, and patterns. As per the ,World Tourism Organization, (2007) Adventure sports and activity holidays are a recognised and growing segment of the tourism industry and sport is acknowledged as an important and potentially health-enhancing activity for which tourism can be the catalyst. Urry (2002) asserts that health care and training of the body have become an important part of the tourism industry. From the start tourism was promoted for its health-improving functions. Gibson, (2008), acknowledges that, Sports as therapy are another growing segment of the tourism industry, with an estimated 15 million annual visits to spas in Europe alone, a figure that is similar to the markets in the United States and Asia.Gibson et al., (2003) indicates that, Sport Tourism Travel related to tourism has received special attention in the tourism field and Sport tourism can occur through a passive or active. Weed (2005) reveals sport tourism as “a social, economic and cultural phenomenon arising from the unique interaction of activity, people and place”.  According to Gibson (1998) there are three types of behaviors associated with sport tourism: active sport tourism, identified as individuals who travel to engage in sport; event sport tourism, individuals that attend sport events and are spectators; and nostalgia sport tourism, “which includes visits to sports museums, famous sports venues, and sports themed cruises. Weed and Bull (2004) suggested there are five types of sports tourism: “tourism with sport content, sports participation tourism, sports training, sports events and luxury sports tourism, and that these types may be multi- or single-sport, may be active or 20 passive, and may involve instruction, elite sport and/or a corporate element. Kurtman and Zauhar (2003) state that sport tourism events refer to those sports activities that attract tourist of which a large percentage are spectators, and generate significant and heterogeneous flows of travellers. Turcoet al., (2002) illustrates that, sporting events can be spectator or participant led; and furthermore, sport tourism is said to be consisting of all the events in which the primary purpose for travel is the participation in or viewing of sport. Turcoet al., (2002) also illustrates that, Sport tourism events are hosted to provide local entertainment, to enhance community pride and to stimulate spending in the host economy. Fredline (2000), argued that,  impacts of a tourism sporting event and its effects on the quality of life of residents  Hall (1992) views social impacts as “the manner in which tourism and travel effect changes in the collective and individual value systems, behaviours patterns, community structure, lifestyle and quality of life”. Fredline (2006) enforces the importance of including societal concerns while assessing the general impacts of sport tourism event, as it will continue to contribute significantly to the improved planning and management of events in the future. Mules and Faulkner (1996) point out that hosting major sports events is not always an unequivocal economic benefit to the cities that host them. They emphasize that, in general, staging major sports events often results in the city authorities losing money even though the city itself benefits greatly in terms of additional spending in the city.

Discussion

sport tourism has focused on the problems and evaluations of the economic impacts of event sports tourism; the trend towards leveraging research in event sports tourism; the more holistic focus on social and cultural, as well as economic impacts of sports participation tourism; the behavioral focus of research in sports participation tourism, the examination of the role of sports tourism in destination marketing and in generating media exposure; and the increasing concern with developing positive perceptions among local residents (Weed 2009). Sport tourists has focused on their economic impact upon a host community, although measuring spending patterns is a difficult proposition. Tourism’s economic impact is one of the most researched but least understood areas of tourism. Sport and tourism each contribute a great deal to the global economy and have become an element in the armory of politicians, planners and economists seeking to regenerate local economies. As a combination of the two, sport tourism has a significant economic impact. Sport tourism inevitably affects more than the economy; tourists by their presence impact on the host population and, at least in some regards, hosts have an effect on their visitors. Benefits of sporting events include, for example, economic, community, recreation and tourism benefits as well as increased employment, social and human capital and city improvements.

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