Tourism Today - College of Tourism and Hotel Management

Perceptions of hosting a bicycle sporting eventsport viewing opportunities. Sport events vary in terms of the scale of the event, type of sport,and context (indoor and outdoor / permanent and repurposed-temporary). Further directionsfor research might include a comparison of sport fan types and perceptions of sport eventsat various destinations; this could expand an understanding of the role of sport fan type andsport involvement in destination choice and sport tourist behavior.Some aspects of the sport event decreased the experiences of the non-sport fans, this requiresfurther investigation and practical considerations need to be addressed to reduce negative impactsof sporting events in BNP. First, it is important for effective pre-event communicationto occur between the event organizers and the residents and visitors. This communicationcan provide residents and visitors with realistic expectations for their experience in the parkduring race weekend, as well as information on how to watch or avoid the sporting event.Second, pre-event planning can minimize park user displacement caused by the event throughthe strategic scheduling of other community and tourism events. For example, moving BikeFest’s Invitational Road Race to a different time of day or location would reduce conflict withrecreational vehicle traffic departing BNP campgrounds at peak checkout times. Park staffand event staff training can enhance local capacity to host event and non-event visitors duringBike Fest. For example event volunteers could be given additional training in crowd managementand information for drivers on how to avoid Bike Fest competition routes.Third, avid-sport fans differed significantly from non-sport fans in their perceptions aboutthe number of people in BNP during the event. Previous research (e.g., Chalip, 2006; Green& Chalip, 1998) has shown that sport events are often perceived as venues for social interactions.Having designated sites for sport fans and participants to congregate would permitsport related socialization and minimize crowding effects at other locations.In summary, non-sport fans differed significantly from avid sport fans in their views about theappropriateness of BNP as a setting for Bike Fest. This data reveals that destination managersand marketers as well as event organizers need to consider how small-scale sport eventsinfluence the experiences of participants, spectators and non-spectators. For example, ParksCanada’s goal is to foster personal connections between Canadians and the national parks(Jager & Halpenny, 2012). Therefore, it is important for Parks Canada to balance the experiencesoffered to encourage connections to the parks without rejecting or isolating other parkusers. The positive impacts which included Bike Fest’s enhancement of the experiences fora large portion of surveyed residents and visitors (both casual and avid-frequent sport fans)may assist Parks Canada in achieving the goal of connecting Canadians to their nationalparks.Tourism Today - Fall 2012 - Full Paper31