Abstract
Tourism in mature and seasonal destinations, such as the Balearic Islands, should be redirected towards more sustainable products and policies. With the increasing interest in sports events as a vehicle for attracting tourism, the present study examines tourists participating in a running event, underlining the role and great economic potential they have for the destination. A sample of runners in the Palma de Mallorca Marathon is segmented. Results of the study show distinct socio-demographic characteristics for choosing the tourist destination, as well as different patterns of tourist behaviour, spending and levels of satisfaction among participants. The findings have important practical implications for the promotion of running destinations as an emerging tourism product. The results of the segmentation and the cluster analysis show the presence of four differentiated groups (named hard loyal runners, non-loyal hard runners, soft runners and non-loyal soft runners). The main recommendation to the management of the event points towards the need to captivate the most experienced runners once again and intensify efforts with newcomers. Concerning satisfaction, services linked to items such as public transport and travel costs should be improved, in addition to underlining the specific value of the climate, the hospitality of residents, as well as road closures and route signage. Finally, events organized in the destination deserve greater attention, particularly in light of the continuing globalization of event tourism and heightened competition for event tourists.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Agha, N., & Taks, M. (2015). A theoretical comparison of the economic impact of large and small events. International of Sport Finance, 10(3), 199–217.
Aguado, L. F., Osorio, A. M., Arbona, A., & Peña-Vinces, J. C. (2017). Efectos de la realización de un megaevento deportivo sobre una economía loc8al. El caso de los Juegos Mundiales 2013 Cali. Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science, 22(43), 131–153.
Alexandris, K., Zahariadis, P., Tsorbatzoudis, C., & Grouios, G. (2004). An empirical investigation of the relationships among service quality, customer satisfaction and psychological commitment in a health club context. European Sport Management Quarterly, 4(1), 36–52.
Anderson, E. W., Fornell, C., & Lehmann, D. R. (1994). Customer satisfaction, market share, and profitability: Findings from Sweden. The Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 53–66.
Añó Sanz, V., Calabuig Moreno, F., & Parra Camacho, D. (2012). Impacto social de un gran evento deportivo: el Gran Premio de Europa de Fórmula 1. Cultura, Ciencia y Deporte, 7(19).
Baade, R. A., Baumann, R., & Matheson, V. A. (2008). Selling the game: Estimating the economic impact of professional sports through taxable sales. Southern Economic Journal, 74(3), 794–810.
Barajas, A., & Sanchez, P. (2011). Aplicación del análisis coste-beneficio (ACB) al Campeonato de España de Natación Master 2011. I Gijón Workshop de Economía del Deporte: El Impacto Económico en el Deporte, Gijón, Universidad de Oviedo.
Bennett, G., Henson, R. K., & Zhang, J. (2003). Generation Y’s perceptions of the action sports industry segment. Journal of sport management, 17(2), 95–115.
Benur, A. M., & Bramwell, B. (2015). Tourism product development and product diversification in destinations. Tourism Management, 50, 213–224.
Biachini, F. & Schengel, H. (1991). Re-imaging the city. In J. Corner & S. Harvey (Eds.), Enterprise and heritage: Crosscurrents of national culture (pp. 214–234). Routledge, London.
Bigne, J. E., Sanchez, M. I., & Sanchez, J. (2001). Tourism image, evaluation variables and after purchase behaviour: Inter-relationship. Tourism Management, 22(6), 607–616.
Bojanic, D. C., & Warnick, R. B. (1996). Segmenting the market for winter vacations. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 4(4), 85–95.
Casper, J. M., & Stellino, M. B. (2008). Demographic predictors of recreational tennis participants’ sport commitment. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, 26(3).
Connell, J., Page, S. J., & Meyer, D. (2015). Visitor attractions and events: Responding to seasonality. Tourism Management, 46(C), 283–298.
Crilley, G., Murray, D., Howat, G., March, H., & Adamson, D. (2002). Measuring performance in operational management and customer service quality: A survey of financial and non-financial metrics from the Australian golf industry. Journal of Retail & Leisure Property, 2(4), 369–380.
Crompton, J. L., & Mackay, K. J. (1989). Users’ perceptions of the relative importance of service quality dimensions in selected public recreation programs. Leisure Sciences, 11(4), 367–375.
Cronin Jr., J. J., & Taylor, S. A. (1992). Measuring service quality: A reexamination and extension. The Journal of Marketing, 55–68.
Dabholkar, P. A., Shepherd, C. D., & Thorpe, D. I. (2000). A comprehensive framework for service quality: An investigation of critical conceptual and measurement issues through a longitudinal study. Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 139–173.
Domingues, E. P., Junior, A. A. B., & Magalhães, A. S. (2011). Quanto vale o show?: Impactos econômicos dos investimentos da Copa do Mundo 2014 no Brasil. Estudos Econômicos (São Paulo), 41(2), 409–439.
Fernández, I., & Martinez, A. (2003). El impacto económico de la Copa del América. Instituto de Economía Internacional, Universidad de Valencia.
Filo, K. R., Funk, D. C., & O’Brien, D. (2008). It’s really not about the bike: Exploring attraction and attachment to the events of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Journal of Sport Management, 22(5), 501–525.
Fornell, C. (1992). A national customer satisfaction barometer: The Swedish experience. The Journal of Marketing, 56(1), 6–21.
García-Sastre, M. A., Alemany-Hormaeche, M., & Trías-Villar, M. (2015). Are regional political decisions the key element in reducing seasonal variation in tourism? The case of the Balearic Islands. Tourism Economics: The Business and Finance of Tourism and Recreation, 21(6), 1207–1219.
Getz, D., & McConnell, A. (2014). Comparing trail runners and mountain bikers: Motivation, involvement, portfolios, and event-tourist careers. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 15, 69–100.
Gillett, P., & Kelly, S. (2006). ‘Non-local’masters games participants: An investigation of competitive active sport tourist motives. Journal of Sport Tourism, 11(3–4), 239–257.
Green, B. C., & Chalip, L. (1998). Sport tourism as the celebration of subculture. Pergamon Annals ofTourirm Research, 25(2), 275–291.
Greenwell, T. C., Fink, J. S., & Pastore, D. L. (2002). Assessing the influence of the physical sports facility on customer satisfaction within the context of the service experience. Sport Management Review, 5(2), 129–148.
Hall, C. M. (1992). Adventure, sport and health tourism (pp. 141–158).
Higham, J. (1999). Commentary-sport as an avenue of tourism development: An analysis of the positive and negative impacts of sport tourism. Current issues in Tourism, 2(1), 82–90.
Hodges, J., & Hall, C. (1996). The housing and social impacts of mega events: Lessons for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. In Tourism down under II; towards a more sustainable tourism (pp. 152–166).
Howat, G., Absher, J., Crilley, G., & Milne, I. (1996). Measuring customer service quality in sports and leisure centres. Managing leisure, 1(2), 77–89.
Johnston, W. E., & Elsner, G. H. (1972). Variability in use among ski areas: A statistical study of the California market region. Journal of Leisure Research, 4(1), 43.
Jones, C. (2001). Mega-events and host-region impacts: Determining the true worth of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. International Journal of Tourism Research, 3(3), 241–251.
Kandampully, J. (1998). Service quality to service loyalty: A relationship which goes beyond customer services. Total Quality Management, 9(6), 431–443.
Kaplanidou, K., & Gibson, H. (2012). Differences between first time and repeat spectator tourists of a youth soccer event: Intentions and image approaches. Current Issues in Tourism, 15(5), 477–487.
Kelley, S. W., & Turley, L. W. (2001). Consumer perceptions of service quality attributes at sporting events. Journal of Business Research, 54(2), 161–166.
Kidd, B. (1992). The Toronto Olympic commitment: Towards a social contract for the Olympic Games. Olympika: The International Journal of Olympic Studies, 1(1), 154–167.
Kim, D., & Kim, S. Y. (1995). QUESC: An instrument for assessing the service quality of sport centers in Korea. Journal of sport management, 9(2), 208–220.
Klenosky, D. B., Gengler, C. E., & Mulvey, M. S. (1993). Understanding the factors influencing ski destination choice: A means-end analytic approach. Journal of leisure research, 25(4), 362–379.
de Knop, P. (1987). Some thoughts on the influence of sport on tourism. In International seminar and workshop on outdoor education, recreation and sport tourism. Proceedings of an international seminar (pp. 38–45). Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sport.
Ko, Y. J., & Pastore, D. L. (2004). Current issues and conceptualizations of service quality in the recreation sport industry. Sport marketing quarterly, 13(3), 158–166.
Kotler, P., Bowen, J., Makens, J., Moreno, R. R., & Paz, M. D. R. (2004). Marketing para turismo. Pearson Pr.
Kouthouris, C., & Alexandris, K. (2005). Can service quality predict customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions in the sport tourism industry? An application of the SERVQUAL model in an outdoors setting. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 10(2), 101–111.
Kozak, M. (2001). Repeaters’ behavior at two distinct destinations. Annals of tourism research, 28(3), 784–807.
Kruger, M., Botha, K., & Saayman, M. (2012). The relationship between visitor spending and repeat visits: An analysis of spectators at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon. Acta Commercii.
Kurtzman, J., & Zauhar, J. (1995). Tourism sport international council. Annals of tourism Research, 22(3), 707–708.
Kurtzman, J., & Zauhar, J. (2003). A wave in time-The sports tourism phenomena. Journal of Sport Tourism, 8(1), 35–47.
Laroche, M., Ueltschy, L. C., Abe, S., Cleveland, M., & Yannopoulos, P. P. (2004). Service quality perceptions and customer satisfaction: Evaluating the role of culture. Journal of International Marketing, 12(3), 58–85.
Li, S., Blake, A., & Thomas, R. (2013). Modelling the economic impact of sports events: The case of the Beijing Olympics. Economic Modelling, 30, 235–244.
Loftman, P., & Spirou, C. (1996). Sports stadiums and urban regeneration: the British and US experience. In Tourism and Culture Conference. University of Northumbria Sept.
Mackay, K. J., & Crompton, J. L. (1988). A conceptual model of consumer evaluation of recreation service quality. Leisure Studies, 7(1), 40–49.
Matheson, V. (2012). Assessing the infrastructure impact of mega-events in emerging economies.
McDonald, M. A., Sutton, W. A., & Milne, G. R. (1995). TEAMQUAL: Measuring service quality in professional team sports. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 4(2), 9–15.
McDonald, M., & Milne, G. (1998). Measuring service quality in professional sport. In Proceedings of the 6th Congress of the European Association of Sport Management.
Mills, A. S., Couturier, H., & Snepenger, D. J. (1986). Segmenting Texas snow skiers. Journal of Travel Research, 25(2), 19–23.
Mullin, B. J., Hardy, S., & Sutton, W. A. (2000). Sport marketing (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Myburgh, E., Kruger, M., & Saayman, M. (2014). A motivation-based typology of triathletes. South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 36(3), 117–134.
Nogawa, H., Yamaguchi, Y., & Hagi, Y. (1996). An empirical research study on Japanese sport tourism in sport-for-all events: Case studies of a single-night event and a multiple-night event. Journal of Travel Research, 35(2), 46–54.
Palmatier, R. W., Dant, R. P., Grewal, D., & Evans, K. R. (2006). Factors influencing the effectiveness of relationship marketing: A meta-analysis. Journal of marketing, 70(4), 136–153.
Papadimitriou, D. A., & Karteroliotis, K. (2000). The service quality expectations in private sport and fitness centers: A reexamination of the factor structure. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 9(3), 157–164.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1994). Reassessment of expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality: Implications for further research. The Journal of Marketing, 111–124.
Parra-Camacho, D., Añó-Sanz, V., Calabuig-Moreno, F., & Ayora-Pérez, D. (2016). Percepción de los residentes sobre el legado de la America’s Cup. Cuadernos de Psicología del Deporte, 16(1), 325–338.
Pillay, U., & Bass, O. (2008). Mega-events as a response to poverty reduction: The 2010 FIFA World Cup and its urban development implications. Urban Forum.
Pomfret, G. (2006). Mountaineering adventure tourists: A conceptual framework for research. Tourism Management, 27(1), 113–123.
Ramírez Hurtado, J. M., Ordaz Sanz, J. A., & Rueda Cantuche, J. M. (2007). Evaluación del impacto económico y social de la celebración de grandes eventos deportivos a nivel local: el caso del Campeonato de Tenis femenino de la ITF en Sevilla en 2006. Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa, 3.
Redmond, G. (1991). Changing styles of sports tourism: industry/consumer interactions in Canada, the USA and Europe (pp. 107–120).
Rice, K. (1987). Special report: SCUBA diving: Dive market requires specialized skill and information. Tour and Travel News, 9, 7–24.
Richards, G. (1996). Production and consumption of European cultural tourism. Annals of tourism research, 23(2), 261–283.
Ritchie, B. W., & Adair, D. (2004). Sport tourism: Interrelationships, impacts and issues (Vol. 14). Channel View Publications.
Roche, M. (2002). Megaevents and modernity: Olympics and expos in the growth of global culture. Routledge.
Saayman, M., & Saayman, A. (2012). Determinants of spending: An evaluation of three major sporting events. International Journal of Tourism Research, 14(2), 124–138.
Shonk, D. J., & Chelladurai, P. (2008). Service quality, satisfaction, and intent to return in event sport tourism. Journal of sport management, 22(5), 587–602.
Slabbert, L. M. (2016). The impact of an accreditation system for trails on growth in hiking tourism.
Soutar, G., & McLeod, P. (1993). Residents’ perceptions on impact of the America’s Cup. Annals of Tourism Research, 20(3), 571–582.
Sowell, C. B., & Mounts Jr., W. S. (2005). Ability, age, and performance: Conclusions from the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. Journal of Sports Economics, 6(1), 78–97.
Stebbins, R. (1992). Amateurs, professionals and serious leisure. London: McGill.
Sturgess, B., & Brady, C. (2006). Hosting the FIFA World Cup. World Economics.
Taks, M. (2013). Social sustainability of non-mega sport events in a global world. EJSS. European Journal for Sport and Society, 10, 121–141.
Theodorakis, N., Kambitsis, C., & Laios, A. (2001). Relationship between measures of service quality and satisfaction of spectators in professional sports. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 11(6), 431–438.
Thwaites, D. (1999). Closing the gaps: Service quality in sport tourism. Journal of Services Marketing, 13(6), 500–516.
Tkaczynski, A., & Rundle-Thiele, S. R. (2011). Event segmentation: A review and research agenda. Tourism Management, 32(2), 426–434.
Turner, R. S., & Rosentraub, M. S. (2002). Tourism, sports and the centrality of cities. Journal of Urban Affairs, 24(5), 487–492.
Um, S., Chon, K., & Ro, Y. (2006). Antecedents of revisit intention. Annals of Tourism Research.
Van der Graaf, A. J. (1994). Service quality and sport centers. European Journal of Sport Management, 1(1), 42–57.
Veltri, F. R., Miller, J. J., & Harris, A. (2009). Club sport national tournament: Economic impact of a small event on a mid-size community. Recreational Sports Journal, 33(2), 119–128.
Waitt, G. (2003). Social impacts of the Sydney Olympics. Annals of Tourism Research, 30(1), 194–215.
Wakefield, K. L., Blodgett, J. G., & Sloan, H. J. (1996). Measurement and management of the sportscape. Journal of Sport Management, 10(1), 15–31.
Wearing, B., & Wearing, S. (1996). Refocussing the tourist experience: The flaneur and the choraster. Leisure studies, 15(4), 229–243.
Whitson, D., & Macintosh, D. (1993). Becoming a world-class city: Hallmark events and sport franchises in the growth strategies of Western Canadian cities. Sociology of Sport Journal, 10(3), 221–240.
Williams, M. H. (1998). The ergogenics edge: Pushing the limits of sports performance. Human Kinetics Publishers.
Yoon, Y., & Uysal, M. (2005). An examination of the effects of motivation and satisfaction on destination loyalty: A structural model. Tourism Management, 26(1), 45–56.
Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuraman, A., & Berry, L. L. (1990). Delivering quality service: Balancing customer perceptions and expectations. Simon and Schuster.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Alemany-Hormaeche, M., Rejón-Guardia, F., García-Sastre, M.A. (2019). Analysis and Segmentation of Sports Events’ Participants: The Marathon Course in Palma de Mallorca. In: Artal-Tur, A., Kozak, M., Kozak, N. (eds) Trends in Tourist Behavior. Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11160-1_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11160-1_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11159-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11160-1
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)