What is sport tourism?

While there are varying definitions it is generally agreed upon that there are two primary characteristics of sport tourism:

1. An individual must travel more than 80km and/or stay overnight to attend, compete, or otherwise be involved in a sporting event.
2. Sport is the reason for travel in that an individual would not have otherwise traveled to that location had it not been for that specific event.

Sport tourism is now the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. And according to the Canadian Tourism Commission, the sport tourism industry is a $2.4 billion a year industry in Canada (Canadian Tourism Commission, 2004).

One side of this sport tourism coin is the growing industry of sporting event hosting. Whether it is a local, regional, national or international competition, hosting a sporting event has varied social, structural and economic effects on a host community. From creating awareness of sport and physical activity, creation or renovation of facilities, to visitor spending, hosting sporting events can have significant impacts. For example, a CBC article indicates that consumer spending in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., increased 48 per cent during the recent Olympic Games including spikes and ebbs during Canadian medal winning events such as increases post-event for men’s aerials and ice dance competitions and decreases during the men’s hockey finals.

In Canada, the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA) is an organization whose goals include marketing Canada internationally as a preferred sport tourism destination, sharing best practices, measuring the economic impact of sport events and enhancing the profile of sport tourism. CSTA offers a variety of resources that aid in researching the feasibility and viability of hosting sporting events in your community, including:

• Canadian federal and provincial/territorial policies for hosting sporting events;
• economic impact reports of various past sport competitions
• business plan templates
• sport tourism planning template

CSTA also hosts the annual Sports Event Congress which is taking place in Toronto this week.

For more information on sport tourism and sport tourism research contact SIRC (askalibrarian@sirc.ca)

Get active on vacation!

It’s never too early to start thinking about your summer vacation. This year why not try to make it an active holiday. With the sport tourism industry growing by leaps and bounds, many people are jumping on the bandwagon and centering their holidays around participating in a sporting activity. Whether you enjoy cycling, sailing, running, hiking, climbing, or any other activity there are many businesses that can help you enjoy your vacation while getting a great workout.

Some vacation ideas include:

• Cycling in the Netherlands (bike and barge)
• Cycling in Quebec
• Rock Climbing on Mount Olympus
• Running and volunteering in Gambia
• Sailing in British Columbia
• Hiking in Peru
• Multisport (hike, bike, and kayak) the Dalmation Coast (Croatia) family tour

These are only a few of the wide array of sporting vacations that are available to individuals as well as families. In order to make sure that you get the most out of your holiday be sure that you get some training in. For tips on training and conditioning for any of these sports and more check out the many resources in the SIRC Collection.

The Guide to Adventure Travel

Travel and sport are often used together when thinking of traveling for the next hockey or basketball tournament. But now more than ever, adventure sport enthusiasts are combining their love of sport and travel and turning it into a winning combination.

A recent article about adventure travel from the SIRC Collection gives the readers the basics everyone will need to have a safe and successful adventure. Some of the tips that every active traveler should adhere by are:

• Never get caught empty-pocketed: If you were separated from your gear, boat, guide or food, would you be able to survive with what’s in your pocket? These aren’t likely scenarios, but keep it in mind next time you’re going rafting or camping in a remote location.
• Pack like a pro: No matter what kind of trip you’re taking, you’re probably packing too much. Try and lighten your load by packing smarter and really thinking about where you are going.
• Dog or no Dog?: It depends on the trip, the owner and the dog’s temperament. Planning on going rafting, skiing, hiking/camping or biking? Each of these activities have risks for dogs so be smart and think about the health and safety of you and your four legged friend. Having a dog around during these activities can be great but ensure your trip mates are ok with the extra passenger!
• Medic! Do yourself and your trip-mates a favour and get some medical training. Even a basic first aid course can help with the first response after a fall on the slopes, a sting from a stingray or a cut on the hand.
• Additional travel insurance: Assess the type of trip you’re taking and decide what type of insurance is best for you. Are you going snorkeling and doing some day hikes? Will you be mountain-biking, rafting and trekking? Or are you headed somewhere remote and dangerous or going mountain climbing? All of these scenarios might have a chance of injury so it’s best to be prepared. The last thing you want is to seek medical attention and be stuck with a bill that you can’t afford.

These are just a few tips to keep your travels fun and safe. In order to stay active and healthy you need to challenge yourself and keep an open mind. Mountain climbing in the Rockies, rafting the Colorado River or Skiing the Alps isn’t for everyone, but you can find something for everyone when it comes to adventure travel!

Reference from the SIRC collection:
Reimers, Fredrick. (2011). The Hero’s Handbook. Outside, 36(2), 42-49.

Sport Tourism Leads The Way

The fastest growing segment in the tourism industry is definitely sport tourism, since hosting events is the perfect way to drive visitors to a town whether it is from across the province or around the world. From Little League tournaments to World Championships and beyond, cities are finding ways to host events like never before so that their hotel rooms are filled, facilities are utilized, restaurants are busy, and shops are active with visitors buying souvenirs.

Canada is passionate about sport and has been welcoming the world for many years with such events as the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, and many more. One of the key objectives of the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA) is to market Canada internationally as a preferred sport tourism destination.

Cities like Kamloops, British Columbia, who hosted the 1993 Canada Summer Games, have used that legacy to continue to host events (national and international) and even turned their marketing campaign up a notch, and use the motto: “Kamloops: Canada’s Tournament Capital” Their experience in hosting successful events and working with key stakeholders in the city, insures that their events are well run and organized.

There is no convincing necessary on why the Niagara region of Ontario is a prime destination, as Niagara Falls is the “seventh natural wonder of the world” and one of Canada’s top vacation destinations. The Niagara Sports Commission has one of the greatest back drops in their backyard, and they can no doubt leverage this when bidding on events as their mandate is to foster economic and community development through sport. Wisely they have also chosen to focus on promoting and enhancing the opportunities for accessible sport through their newly launched Niagara Accessible Sport program.

The pie is large as sport tourism is the swiftest emerging sector in the global travel industry generating up to $6 billion annually, with Canada working hard to get its share!

Contact SIRC for more information on sports tourism!