ABSTRACT
Using Imo State as a case study, this research looked into sport tourism and the performance of the tourism industry. Three major research objectives were developed to accomplish this. In this study, the survey design was used, as well as simple random sample procedures. The workforce of chosen tourism facilities and hotels in Imo State make up the population. The researcher readily chose 67 responses while selecting the sample size, while 60 were received and 60 were validated. Data was collected using a self-created and validated questionnaire. Frequency tables and mean scores were used to examine the collected and validated surveys. The findings show that sport tourism helps increase the tourist industry’s profitability; sport tourism contributes to the tourism industry’s overall performance. Sport tourists also frequent tourism attractions in their sport location, according to the research. In light of the findings, the study proposes that Nigeria build a robust policy framework for rural and urban tourism, and that indigenous and local handicrafts be supported among Nigerian youths, particularly in technical schools, in order to increase tourism attractions for sport tourists.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background Of Study
In many industrialized and developing nations, tourism has become an important policy instrument for community and regional development. In a number of locations, tourism has the ability to affect and change how natural and cultural resources are used. It encourages the expansion of the hotel industry by providing new possibilities, jobs, and economic advantages to local communities. Tourism is an important sector for a country’s economic development. People travel for a variety of reasons. Sport is a significant factor in boosting the tourism sector. Sports tourism is progressively becoming one of the fastest growing industries as society develops and people’s living standards improve. People have been traveling to stay in hotels, see the sport venue, and participate in and watch sports events since the ancient Olympic Games (Higham J, 2010). Patronage can take the shape of clients, other enterprises, or companies; it can also be defined as a patron’s business or activity. The tourist who patronizes a destination is referred to as a patron in tourism. A destination’s infrastructure, attractions, and marketing have an impact on its patronage. Low tourism patronage has an impact on the use of tourism centers, destination facilities, and the morale of people who rely on the tourism industry for their livelihood. In today’s world, sports and tourism have a mutually beneficial relationship. The economic development of sports tourism has been a hot topic in the world for the past two decades. Tourism is defined as travel for the purposes of recreation, leisure, business, or the provision of services to facilitate leisure travel. Tourists are people who “travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one year for leisure, business, or other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited,” according to the World Tourism Organization (World Tourism Organization, ). Tourism is an important part of a country’s economic development because of the revenue created by tourists’ purchases of products and services, as well as the taxes collected on tourism enterprises. Transportation services, such as planes, cruise ships, and taxis, lodging, hotels, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, and other hospitality industry services, such as spas and resorts, are among these service businesses. People travel for a variety of purposes, including jobs, business, leisure, religious activities, and medicine. Another key cause for tourism is sport. Sports tourism is gradually becoming one of the most essential components of the popular healthy lifestyle, as well as one of the fastest expanding market areas in the tourism business, as society develops and people’s living standards increase. Tourism arrivals are expected to expand at a 4.3% annual rate, reaching 1.6 billion by 2020. (Simon Hudson, 2009). Sports tourism is one of the fastest expanding sectors contributing to these astonishing figures. Sports tourism development has been one of the most contentious issues in the globe for the past two decades. Sports tourism has received attention from the International Olympic Committee and World Tourism Organizations. Sports tourism refers to travel for the purpose of participating in certain sporting events such as the Cricket World Cup, Olympic Games, SAARC games, and football tournaments. Who travel more than 80 kilometers or stay overnight to attend, participate, or otherwise be involved in a sporting event, and who visit tourism establishments within the location, according to the Canadian Tourism Commission (Canadian Tourism Commission). Sports tourism is not only one of the most basic types of tourism, but it is also a cost-effective subject that allows the tourist and sports industries to coexist. Sports tourism is still in its early stages, but it is growing and improving to increase people’s participation awareness and provide a fantastic opportunity to expand the tourism business. The sports tourism market is an important part of the development of sports tourism. Sports tourism is based on the elements that motivate travelers and the travel experiences that sports tourists want when they visit a certain location. The study examines sport tourism and the performance of the tourism business against this context.
Statement Of The Problem
Tourism is a socio-cultural phenomena that has gradually spread around the world, in both developed and developing countries. As an outward indicator, humanity is beginning to modify its attitude toward environmental conservation, which includes animals, plants, masonry, vines, mist, sound, and even man himself, all of which are active components of the earth (Fred, 2014). People travel for a variety of reasons. One of the most important reasons for promoting the hospitality business is sport. Sports tourism is progressively becoming one of the fastest growing industries as society develops and people’s living standards improve (Tsiotsu and Ratten 2010).
Objectives Of The Study
In general, this research looks at sport tourism and the tourism industry’s performance.
1. Determine whether sport tourism increases the tourism industry’s profitability.
2. Determine whether sport tourism helps to the tourism industry’s overall performance.
3. Determine if or whether sport tourists visit tourism attractions in their sport destination.
4. Determine the elements that influence the patronage of tourism centers in Imo State by sport tourists.
Research Question
The following questions will lead the research.
- Is sport tourism beneficial to the tourism industry’s profitability?
- Is sport tourism beneficial to the tourism industry’s overall performance?
- Is it common for sports tourists to visit tourism attractions in their sport destination?
- What variables influence the patronage of tourism centers in Imo State by sport tourists?
Significance Of The Study
This research will look at how sports tourism contributes to Nigeria’s economic development through tourism patronage. It is intended for policymakers, hospitality industry operators, and businesses who would find the study very useful as a guide in structuring the hospitality sector to make it a contributor to national economic development by putting all of the necessary facilities in place to improve efficiency and increase the level of their contributions. Students and researchers interested in conducting more research on the issue might benefit greatly from this research.
Scope Of The Study
The study focuses on sport tourism and the tourism industry’s performance. The research will also look into whether sport tourism boosts tourism industry profitability, whether sport tourism contributes to overall tourism performance, whether sport tourists patronize tourist centers in their sport destination, and what factors influence sport tourist patronage of tourism centers in Imo State. Three selected tourism centers and two hotels in Imo State will provide respondents for this study.
Limitation Of The Study
The researcher faced some challenges in conducting this research, including time limits, money constraints, language barriers, and the respondents’ attitudes. However, the researcher was able to deal with these issues in order to ensure the study’s success.
Operational Definition Of Terms
Tourism is defined as all actions of a person(s) traveling to and staying in a place(s) outside their typical environment for not more than one year for leisure, business, or other purposes not related to the execution of a remunerated activity from within the place visited (UNWTO, 2010).
Sports tourism is defined as travel that involves either watching or participating in a sporting event while remaining outside of the visitors’ typical surroundings.
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