Interaction with staff, venue and experience as determinants of sports tourist behaviour. Evidence from a Marathon

In recent years, sporting events have come to be considered significant in attracting tourists to an area, although the literature has not effectively analysed the determinants of a successful sporting event. This paper analyses the antecedents of sporting event quality; in particular, we consider these antecedents relative to active sports tourists participating in a marathon. The data for this study were collected through a questionnaire filled in by the participants in the 2011 Firenze Marathon. Regression analysis were employed to analyse the data from the sample (N=225). The results show that the antecedents of sporting event quality are: the quality of the interaction with the staff, the venue and value and experience. This study gives suggestions for future research and provides useful insights for managerial implications for sports tourism management.