Matthew James Lamont

Reinventing the Wheel: A Definitional Discussion of Bicycle Tourism

The relationship between cycling and tourism is increasingly attracting scholarly attention as cycling experiences a resurgence as a recreational, leisure and sporting activity. Whilst several attempts at defining bicycle tourism exist, current literature is fragmented by the use of inconsistent parameters in characterising bicycle tourists. Disparity also exists regarding the range of cycling activities and participation characteristics that distinguish bicycle tourists from other tourists. At the same time, some potentially significant tourism markets related to cycling have been overlooked or unreasonably excluded from existing definitions. This paper critically examines existing definitions and proposes a technical definition of bicycle tourism aimed at facilitating more rigorous and consistent statistical measurements regarding this form of tourism. Implications of the parameters used in the proposed definition are also discussed throughout the paper.

A Qualitative Exploration of Participant Motives Among Committed Amateur Triathletes

This study explored motivations of amateur triathletes using an interpretive approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 triathletes in two Australian east coast states. Data were interpreted through the theoretical lenses of self-determination theory and flow. Nine motivation themes emerged. The triathletes were motivated to participate in triathlon partly for intrinsic reasons, though extrinsic motives were also extensively prevalent. Different motivations were found to be cyclical in directing behavior contingent upon individual goals, event schedules, and personal circumstances. There is a need for further inquiry into endurance sport participants’ endorsement of intrinsic versus extrinsic motives.

Constraint negotiation in serious leisure: a study of amateur triathletes

Abstract This paper explores strategies employed by amateur triathletes engaged in serious leisure to negotiate leisure constraints. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 Australian triathletes, revealing a range of negotiation strategies used to adapt to or alleviate constraints. In particular, triathletes accepted the likelihood of opportunity costs, were pragmatic about their performance and used a self-determined hierarchy of importance to make leisure/non-leisure decisions. They engaged in planning and time management, endeavored to communicate and cooperate with significant others, were opportunistic and flexible with training, and employed discipline props to maintain participation. Their participation was cyclical in nature, with periods of intense involvement before events. Cognitive and behavioral negotiation strategies were interconnected, suggesting implications for physical activity programs and interventions.

Costs and perseverance in serious leisure careers

Few studies have explored the impacts of costs on serious leisure careers. This article presents a case study of amateur athletes encountering a significant cost—cancellation of the 2012 Ironman New Zealand triathlon—and how they persevered despite this cost. Through a phenomenological research design incorporating qualitative interviews with 14 amateur triathletes, grounded theory analysis revealed that despite encountering a significant cost, athletes remained committed to their serious leisure careers. Athletes acknowledged and accepted the inherent risk of cancellation associated with outdoor sports events. Their experiences stimulated deployment of cognitive and behavioral strategies aimed at rationalizing or mitigating risk. This article contributes three theoretical propositions regarding costs encountered by serious leisure amateurs, how they persevere around costs, and concomitant impacts on serious leisure career trajectories.

Demographic, Behavioural and Normative Risk Factors for Gambling Problems Amongst Sports Bettors

Sports betting is growing exponentially, is heavily marketed and successfully targets young adult males. Associated gambling problems are increasing. Therefore, understanding risk factors for problem gambling amongst sports bettors is an increasingly important area of research to inform the appropriate design and targeting of public health and treatment interventions. This study aimed to identify demographic, behavioural and normative risk factors for gambling problems amongst sports bettors. An online survey of 639 Australian sports bettors using online, telephone and retail betting channels was conducted. Results indicated that vulnerable sports bettors for higher risk gambling are those who are young, male, single, educated, and employed full-time or a full-time student. Risk of problem gambling was also found to increase with greater frequency and expenditure on sports betting, greater diversity of gambling involvement, and with more impulsive responses to betting opportunities, including in-play live action betting. Normative influences from media advertising and from significant others were also associated with greater problem gambling risk. The results of this study can inform a suite of intervention, protection and treatment initiatives targeted especially at young male adults and adolescents that can help to limit the harm from this gambling form.

I Can't do Everything! Competing Priorities as Constraints in Triathlon Event Travel Careers

The term “event travel career” describes how highly involved and/or committed persons pursue a career of travel to organized events linked to their preferred leisure activity. The introduction of this significant, discretionary social role may lead to individuals experiencing dilemmas in prioritizing between day-to-day needs and desires and those of their event travel career. This article discusses how the concepts of competing priorities and opportunity costs are useful in understanding constraints faced by serious leisurists pursuing an event travel career. The sport of triathlon was chosen as a context in which to examine these concepts. A textual analysis of postings to an Australian online forum for triathletes was undertaken over 4 weeks. The data supported the contention that persons who train for and travel to triathlon events face significant resource-related constraints in the form of competing priorities. Three domains where the triathletes encountered competing priorities in their lives were identified: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural. In terms of negotiating constraints presented by their competing priorities, the triathletes appeared willing to accept a range of opportunity costs in order to maintain momentum in their event travel career. This study contributes to enhancing knowledge regarding constraints faced by serious leisurists in a tourism context, and also in understanding the broader implications of constraints negotiation at the individual level.

Sports-Embedded Gambling Promotions: A Study of Exposure, Sports Betting Intention and Problem Gambling Amongst Adults

Community, media and government concerns have emerged about promoting sports betting during televised sports broadcasts, which now contain betting operators’ logos, signage, websites, commentary and betting odds. Despite large television audiences being exposed, limited research has examined how these promotions shape gambling behaviour, particularly amongst problem gamblers. Underpinned by the Theory of Reasoned Action, this study explored whether exposure and attitude to gambling promotions during televised sport predict sports betting intention and whether this relationship varies with problem gambling severity. Surveys were conducted with 1,000 adults in Queensland, Australia. Strongest predictors of greater intended frequency of sports betting were higher problem gambling severity, previous sports betting participation, more frequent exposure to the promotions, and more positive attitudes towards them. Results suggest that the audience most likely to be stimulated by these promotions are problem gamblers because they have greatest exposure and a favourable disposition to them, and report they have maintained or worsened their problem sports betting behaviours. Policy and public health interventions may be needed to counter these pervasive media messages.

Bet anywhere, anytime: an analysis of internet sports bettors' responses to gambling promotions during sports broadcasts by problem gambling severity

Promotions for online sports betting during televised sports broadcasts are regularly viewed by millions of Australians, raising concerns about their impacts on vulnerable groups including at-risk and problem gamblers. This study examined whether responses to these promotions varied with problem gambling severity amongst 455 Australian Internet sports bettors participating in an online survey. Results indicated that young male Internet sports bettors are especially vulnerable to gambling problems, particularly if they hold positive attitudes to gambling sponsors who embed promotions into sports broadcasts and to the promotional techniques they use and this heightens the risk that alluring messages contribute to excessive gambling. As problem gambling severity increased, so too did recognition that these promotions have impacted negatively on their sports betting behaviour. Because a plethora of sports betting brands and promotions are now heavily integrated into sports coverage, social marketing efforts are needed to offset their persuasive appeal and counter the positive attitudes towards them that appear linked to excessive gambling amongst Internet sports bettors.

Intimations of postmodernity in sports tourism at the Tour de France

Despite the burgeoning literature on sports tourism research the area is dominated by descriptive and anachronistic typologies. Consequently, some scholars have called for greater connectivities between sports tourism and related academic specialities. Accordingly, this article uses a case study of the 2011 Tour de France to suggest how sports tourism research can benefit from the sociological perspective of postmodernism. We support our argument by focusing on processes of mobile subjectivities and perceived authenticity among members of a commercially organised cycling and spectating trip.

Cooperative business organizations: intrinsic in every strategically functional tourism industry.

Relationships between organizations sharing the same domain (such as a marketplace) can take the form of competition, cooperation, coexistence, or a combination of such. An article previously published in Tourism, Culture & Communication suggested that competition and cooperation are mutually exclusive. That is, business organizations cannot simultaneously compete and cooperate. This critique from Leiper, Lamont, and Hing critically discusses the notions of “competition” and “cooperation,” and presents evidence supporting a contention that business organizations commonly compete and cooperate on a concurrent basis. This review also seeks to clarify the notion of industrial cooperation by identifying and discussing two forms of industrial cooperation: intraindustry, and interindustry. The importance of both intraindustry and interindustry cooperation in understanding the structure of tourism industries is also highlighted. Readers should note that this article was initially composed as a counterargument paper (and almost completed!!) by Professor Neil Leiper in his study on the east coast of Australia. The article has been read as an “in progress” work by Lamont and Hing, who had worked closely with Professor Leiper over recent years. Lamont and Hing have sought to work with precision to retain and strengthen the core ideas of their colleague, Professor Leiper. In certain places, they have drawn on their long knowledge of the Leiper manifesto for relevant and strategic Tourism Management/Tourism Development decision making to round off the interpretations that Professor Leiper was in process of finalizing at his untimely passing. (Abstract by the Critical Review Editor)