Regional Sports Tourism Networks: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Sports tourism is a widespread phenomenon with significant social, economic and ecological impacts. However, on an academic level sports tourism is a relatively new field of research. As a consequence, there is a relative dearth of work on theoretically informed explanations of the sports tourism phenomenon. This is particularly true for organizational aspects of sports tourism. To overcome this gap in research, a conceptual framework has been developed which provides a theoretically grounded perspective on the organizational structure of regional sports tourism (RST). Drawing on a theory of social networks, RST is considered as an interorganizational network based on mutual trust among involved actors. Three functional mechanisms of such a network of RST – cooperation, emergence and innovation – explaining the causal logic of this form of organization will be discussed. The concept of a RST network, presented in this paper, enables a theoretical explanation and understanding of individual action and collective structure in RST. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive framework for the operationalization and empirical analysis of organization in RST. Finally, several implications for further research and the management of RST networks can be derived from this approach.