Sports Tourism Participants, Policy and Providers

Sports Tourism: Participants, Policy and Providers is an unparalleled text that explains sports tourism as a social, economic and cultural phenomenon that stems from the unique interaction of activity, people and place. Unlike other texts, it establishes sports tourism as a unique area that produces its own unique issues, concerns and controversies. Extensively revised with cutting edge new material based on the latest research in the field, this edition uses recent international case studies to illustrate how theory is used in practice. The text tackles the complex and distinctive issues this sector faces from three viewpoints:

* participants: examining the profiles, motivations and behaviour patterns of sports tourists to create a participation model
* policy: analyzes the response by policy makers to this phenomenon and the problems of achieving integration between two sectors with historically different cultures
* providers: their motivations, aims, objectives and strategies.
Now in its second edition, this book is an essential resource for those studying, teaching or working in sports tourism.

Professor Mike Weed is Director of the Centre for Sport, Physical Education andActivity Research (SPEAR) and Faculty Research Director for the Faculty of Social andApplied Sciences at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. He is Editor of the Journal of Sport andTourism and author of Olympic Tourism (Elsevier) Dr Chris Bull is Head of the Department of Sport Science, Tourism and Leisure at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. He has over 30 years' experience as a teacher, researcher and consultant in the field of tourism, sport and leisure.

Part 1: Context 1. Tracing the Development of the Sport-Tourism Link 2. Contemporary Concepts, Issues and Research Part 2: Participants 3. Conceptualizing the Sports Tourism Experience 4. Sports Tourism Behaviours and the Trip Decision-Making Process 5. A Sports Tourism Participation Model Part 3: Policy 6. The Policy Context 7. Prospects for Integration Part 4: Providers 8. Sports Tourism Products 9. Provision Strategies Part 5: Case Studies 10. Sports Tourism as a Diversification Strategy in Malta 11. Urban Sports Tourism - The Case of Sheffield 12. Rural Sports Participation Tourism in Wales 13. Winter Skiing in the European Alps 14. Cycling Sports Tourism Epilogue