Small-scale sport events in tourist destinations, an empirical analysis

This paper examines the relationship between tourism and sport in small-scale sport events. I analyse the case of Marelba 2009, an annual sport event organized by a local association in Elba Island, a well-known tourist destination in Tuscany. This paper aims to focus on the following research questions: how small-scale sport events can boost tourism to a tourist destination, what role the social network of sport associations plays in achieving the success of an event. Results show that the event was the main reason of their trip to the Island for almost half of event participants and more than half of them decided to attend the event because they were members of sport associations. A factor-cluster analysis found the characteristics of distinct segments of tourists. The findings have implications on sport event management and marketing strategies of a tourist destination.