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For sports enthusiasts, the World Championships led to Innsbruck-Tyrol being perceived as a more modern and international destination compared to the period before the event.
The perception of internationality improved among people with no particular interest in sport, while their assessment of the modernity of the region remained unchanged.
In contrast to sports fans, non-sports fans sometimes developed more negative associations after the event and perceived the destination as more artificial and less cheerful.
Overall, it is shown that major sporting events achieve positive image effects, especially among target groups with an affinity for sport, and can thus counteract the natural loss of a destination's image over time.
Summary of this study
Hosting sports tourism events can bring potential image benefits and generate future revenue by attracting visitors. The study examines the effects of such an event on the destination image perceived by tourists using the example of the 2018 UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck-Tyrol. As part of a qualitative longitudinal study, image changes were measured using pre- and post-surveys.
The results indicate that the event contributes positively to the cognitive image perception of sports enthusiasts, who perceive the destination as more modern and international after the event than before. For people with no particular interest in sport, no change in the modern-traditional area was found, but a development towards a more international perception was also observed. Overall, the study provides initial indications of the positive image effects of sports tourism events among target groups interested in sport.
Key findings of this study
- Positive image change among people interested in sport: People interested in sport perceived the destination as significantly more modern and international after the World Cup than before.
- Increased internationality among those not interested in sport: Even people with no particular interest in sport perceived the region as more international after the event, the perception of modernity did not change.
- Negative tendencies among those not interested in sport: In contrast to those interested in sport, those not interested in sport sometimes developed more negative associations after the event and perceived the destination as more artificial as well as less cheerful.
- Counteracting the natural loss of image: The results indicate that major sporting events can slow down or prevent the natural loss of a destination's image over time, particularly among target groups who are sports enthusiasts.