Extract of Study – a Comparative Analysis of the Management and Socio-Economic Impacts of Sport Tourism Events in Cape Town and Durban
Extract of study – A comparative analysis of the management and socio-economic impacts of Sport Tourism Events in Cape Town and Durban (Dr Deborah Johnson, 2010).
2.3 Sport tourism perspectives Sport tourism is recognised as one of the fastest growing segments within the tourism industry (Getz, 1998). The Olympic Games, the world’s most famous event, is an example of a mega sport tourism event. In the world of sport, events can range from a local basketball tournament to professional games. Sport tourism events have potential to capture the attention of attendees and to engage them in the excitement of the event. Sport tourism events such as the Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, CM and OMTOM, have the capacity to transcend international barriers and to bring together top athletes for moments of fun and competition (Wiersma & Strolberg, 2003: 3). Such events further provide an opportunity for the destination to leverage tourism development potential; to provide opportunities for local business to leverage economic opportunities; and to provide unique opportunities to engage local communities in entrepreneurship. It further creates opportunities to build on development of education and training in the fields of sport, tourism and events, as a sub-sector of sport tourism. 2.3.1 Global perspectives
An indication of the significance of the sport event tourism market includes an increasing proliferation of new international events. Factors that influence this trend include a desire of media to cover new, exciting events, investments of sponsors who utilise sponsorship to reach their consumers, and competition among destinations to attract events (Getz, 1998). He adds that it is now widely recognised that sport events contribute significantly towards increasing tourist traffic and driving economic development of a region. As a result, hosting and bidding for events have presently become integral components of the overall tourism product of several countries.
2.3 Sport tourism perspectives Sport tourism is recognised as one of the fastest growing segments within the tourism industry (Getz, 1998). The Olympic Games, the world’s most famous event, is an example of a mega sport tourism event. In the world of sport, events can range from a local basketball tournament to professional games. Sport tourism events have potential to capture the attention of attendees and to engage them in the excitement of the event. Sport tourism events such as the Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, CM and OMTOM, have the capacity to transcend international barriers and to bring together top athletes for moments of fun and competition (Wiersma & Strolberg, 2003: 3). Such events further provide an opportunity for the destination to leverage tourism development potential; to provide opportunities for local business to leverage economic opportunities; and to provide unique opportunities to engage local communities in entrepreneurship. It further creates opportunities to build on development of education and training in the fields of sport, tourism and events, as a sub-sector of sport tourism. 2.3.1 Global perspectives
An indication of the significance of the sport event tourism market includes an increasing proliferation of new international events. Factors that influence this trend include a desire of media to cover new, exciting events, investments of sponsors who utilise sponsorship to reach their consumers, and competition among destinations to attract events (Getz, 1998). He adds that it is now widely recognised that sport events contribute significantly towards increasing tourist traffic and driving economic development of a region. As a result, hosting and bidding for events have presently become integral components of the overall tourism product of several countries.