Recurring Rural Destination Sport Events: A Study on Participants’ Direct Spending

Abstract

The current study explores direct spending profiles of sport event tourists in a very small rural destination as an alternative to the multiplier effect economic impact studies. Sport event tourism has been used as an economic engine tool by a variety of destination sizes but has been neglected for small rural destinations, where people arrive from various distance radiuses to participate in this central activity for the place. Data were collected from participants at a small-scale recurring mountain running event. An online survey instrument was sent to the participants after the event. Participants reported on their daily and total expenditures regarding accommodation, meals and other tourist spending. The results revealed that the participants who responded to the survey spent on average about EUR 163 for accommodation, EUR 205 for meals and about EUR 38 for other tourist spending, such as souvenirs. Respondents from closer radius, spent less on average, approximately EUR 156, EUR 383 and EUR 26 for the respective spending categories. Rural destinations counting on hosting sport events for economic boosts in poorly economic areas witness considerable financial gains for the regions via the estimation of the more feasible direct spending calculations.