African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (Jul 2016)
Using sport tourism events as a catalyst for tourism development in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
Abstract
The recent upsurge in sport tourism development as a socio-economic development tool for Third World countries commands critical consideration. Such deliberation is required because sport tourism exists within a complex network of social, economic, political, cultural and environmental factors that can ultimately determine the impact of sport tourism on certain destinations. In this regard, the current study aims to assess the possibility of using major sport tourism events as a catalyst for development in the African context, using the experiences gained from the hosting of the 2010 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup and the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Port Elizabeth in South Africa, as a case study. The methodology employed involved the use of selfadministered questionnaires targeting event attendees during the hosting of both events. The key variables measured surrounded key tourism aspects of the event. The study found similarities and differences in relation to travel motives, demographics and types of tourism activities in which engaged. Interestingly, repeat visitors to South Africa were enthusiastic about revisiting the province, as they recognised the tourism offerings to serve as a drawcard to the area. Additionally, the respondents strongly indicated the desire to promote the province, upon return to their place of residency, by means of positive word of mouth. The study demonstrates the ability of sport tourism events to act as a catalyst for tourism, especially when they are properly leveraged. The article recommends the need for tourism authorities to capitalise upon the opportunity presented by sport tourism events to maximise benefits by way of designing appropriate programmes for marketing and strategy, as well as policy.
