Richard Shipway

Resident perceptions of mega-sporting events: A non-host city perspective of the 2012 London Olympic Games

Despite the growing importance of a ‘triple bottom line’ approach to mega sport event research, limited longitudinal research has been carried out to understand and explain resident perceptions of the impact of such events. The aim of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of the social dimension of Olympic tourism development, by exploring resident perceptions of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games within the two respective communities of Weymouth and Portland in England. This paper reports the first stage of a repeated cross-sectional longitudinal study conducted in 2007. It highlights that generally residents were supportive of hosting the event in the local area but were concerned over perceived traffic congestion, parking issues and potential increases in the cost of living. A factor analysis identified five factors that explained 60.5% of the variance in resident perceptions, with the largest factor comprising ‘positive social impacts’, followed by ‘negative impacts’, ‘transport issues’, ‘positive economic impacts’ and ‘price rises.’ Differences were found between these factors and socio-demographic characteristics. Implications for mega event managers and future research are outlined.

Meaning not measurement

Purpose – Events research is witnessing a gradual increase in experience‐related studies, reflecting a challenge to the dominance of positivist, quantitative‐based studies. This purpose of this paper is to support a paradigm shift to effect a more balanced examination of events within the existing body of literature.Design/methodology/approach – A search of events‐related publications in both events and non‐events journals is conducted in order to identify the level of use of the ethnographic approach by researchers in event studies. The literature on qualitative methods and on ethnography in particular is also examined, in a bid to show how ethnography can be used and how it is specifically suited to inquiry into the consumer experience of events and festivals.Findings – Ethnography is advocated as an appropriate research approach to the events field, and this paper details the extensive potential that this approach offers. Drawing from the wider literature on ethnography, a rationale for an alternative ...

Running free: Embracing a healthy lifestyle through distance running

Sport and leisure activity contribute to both health and quality of life. There is a dearth of qualitative studies on the lived experiences of active people, so the aim of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of the experiences of one particular group of active leisure participants, distance runners, and to highlight the associated health and well-being benefits that result from participating in this increasingly popular form of active leisure. In doing so, this paper will briefly explore the potential opportunities and implications for sport and leisure policy and provision, and highlight examples of how distance running could positively contribute towards government objectives linked to tackling obesity levels, healthy living and physical well-being. It is suggested that similar benefits also exist across other forms of physical activity, exercise and sport. Qualitative methods of enquiry were adopted to understand the nature of the social world of long distance runners through interviews and observations, which were thematically analyzed. One of the key themes emerging from the data was the desire to embrace a healthy lifestyle, which then led to the emergence of four main sub-themes. The first was linked to the importance of seeking self-esteem and confirmation through running; second, an investigation of a selection of negative aspects associated with exercise addiction; third, the need to exercise among sport and leisure participants; and finally, an understanding of the concept of the ‘running body’. Cautionary notes also identified negative aspects associated with exercise and physical activity. The findings highlight the potential role that distance running can play as an easily accessible and enjoyable leisure activity, one that can help facilitate increased participation in exercise and physical activity as an integral part of an active and healthy lifestyle.

Sustainable legacies for the 2012 Olympic Games

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have the unique potential to deliver sustainable sporting, social, cultural, economic and environmental legacies, not just for London as the host city, but for the whole of Britain. This article focuses primarily on the first three of these potential Olympics legacies. The first area explored is the social legacy as it impacts on host communities; second, the potential educational and cultural legacy of the 2012 Games are examined; and finally, there follows an overview of the health benefits that could result from a sustained increase in mass participation in sport, physical activity and exercise. This appraisal is undertaken through a review of existing Olympic literature and examples are drawn from previous summer and winter Games. This preliminary exploration is followed by the identification of some key challenges to be overcome if the opportunities available to a wide and diverse range of stakeholders are to be fully optimized. The article suggests that the 2012 Games can act as a catalyst for sports development throughout Britain, while also assisting with government cross-cutting agendas such as tackling crime, antisocial behaviour, developing healthy and active communities, improving educational attainment, and combating barriers to participation. In doing so, this article argues that priority should be placed at supporting grassroots sport through greater access to sport in the community, and not solely elite level sports development. The article concludes by suggesting that the 2012 Games provide opportunities to deliver real and tangible changes and most importantly, to afford a higher priority to sport, along with the obvious associated health benefits for Britain as a whole. The underlying challenge as we move towards 2012 is to achieve a positive step change in the attitudes towards sport and physical activity in British society. Achieving this would possibly be the greatest legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Organisations, practices, actors, and events: Exploring inside the distance running social world

This paper revisits Unruh’s notions of social worlds, exploring the organisations, practices, events and actors involved within the culture of distance running, as an increasingly popular leisure activity. An ethnographic research design was utilised using a combination of interviews, observation and participant observation. Data was collected over a two-year period on a weekly basis at two local distance running clubs, and also at a series of international distance running events. This study examines the distance running world from the “emic” perspective of the twenty participants involved. The key findings illustrate how the distance running social world permits both development and confirmation of a running identity and, with it, social fulfilment. In addition to the four main components of a distance running social world, this paper highlights a paradox whereby individuals follow an individual pursuit within the social world of the distance running community – highlighting that the focus is on both the individual and the social, an area which sociologists have to date not extensively analysed within the context of sport.

I Am Having a Dilemma: Factors Affecting Resident Support of Event Development in the Community

The purpose of this study is to better understand factors underlying local residents’ responses to mega event development. The authors suggest that residents’ intention to give or withhold support of hosting an event in the community can be viewed as a social dilemma and examine the effects of event publicity, perceived fairness of event portrayal, and residents’ commitment to the event. In a field study that assesses the impact of 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing events on residents at Weymouth and Portland, United Kingdom, the study finds that event publicity is linked to residents’ supporting behaviors indirectly through commitment. Perceived fairness of event portrayal is identified as a moderator of the event publicity effect. Specifically, when media reports of the event are considered biased or unfair, the effect of both positive and negative event publicity is attenuated. The findings have implications for event organizations and local authorities in stakeholder relationship management.

Health and the running body: Notes from an ethnography

This article aims to develop one of the major themes from an ethnographic study of the culture of distance running – the desire for health and fitness. Research was undertaken over a 2-year period using a variety of flexible qualitative data sources, most notably observation and in-depth interviews. The body, especially the ‘running body’, is seen by participants in this study as a source of health and well-being and affirmation of their identity. The results highlight the various contradictions and tensions that emerged whilst exploring the behaviour of distance runners in their desire to achieve a healthy body and mind.

Understanding cycle tourism experiences at the Tour Down Under

ABSTRACT Sport tourism experiences are subjective and emotional, laden with symbolic meaning. This study explores the experiences of participants who adopted the multiple roles of both an active participant and event spectator, within the parameters of one chosen sporting event. A professional cycling race event, the Tour Down Under in South Australia was chosen for this investigation, and 20 face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with cycle tourists. The three main themes emerging from the data were the interaction of people and temporary spaces on a sport tourism ‘stage’; the co-creation of authentic personal experiences and meanings; and identity reinforcement and the development of a sense of belonging. Consequently, a model for understanding sport event tourism experiences is proposed. The findings suggest that providing tourists with authentic and memorable experiences lies at the heart of what constitutes sport tourism. Whilst the results demonstrate that cycling events provide the individual with a sense of belonging or membership to a wider social group, they also illustrate that there is a continued need for more focused and nuanced approaches towards understanding sport tourism experiences that reflect the ever-increasing diversity and complexity of the interaction between sport, events and tourism.

London tourism: a 'post-disaster' marketing response.

SUMMARY Global tourism demand has been subject to fluctuation in recent years, and London as a tourist destination has recently had to cope with both the significant forces at play in the wider environment and radical change in the way that tourism is to be managed across the UK. The purpose of this paper is to review the post-disaster destination marketing activity conducted by London in its attempt to regain its position as a premier destination for domestic and international visitors, set within the wider context of the devolution of tourism across the country. A number of the issues arising from Londons post-disaster marketing campaign are identified, and a set of guiding principles for any future such action are discussed. The paper concludes that diversification of both the product and market is necessary if London is to retain its position as one of the worlds leading ‘iconic’ city destinations.

Experiencing sport tourism

One particular area that sport and tourism have in common is that they provide consumers with experiences. An understanding of the ways in which tourists experience the places and people they visit and the activities they undertake, is therefore fundamental to the study of the consumption of sport tourism. According to Ritchie et al. (2011), the essence of tourism in today’s world is the development and delivery of travel and visitation experiences to a range of individuals and groups who wish to see, understand, and experience the nature of different destinations and the way people live, work, and enjoy life in those destinations. In this context engagement in sporting or adventure activities is one of many ways in which people chose to experience places and people. However the relationship between the sporting and travel aspects of sport tourism is complex and motivations of participants vary. Research by Kirkup (2012) considered Olympic spectators/tourists and identified the importance of social interaction with other tourists who share a common interest. In this case the sporting event itself and the sense of belonging and social identity derived from supporting the event appears to predominate. Experience of the wider destination and its people is secondary. As sport tourism has continued to expand in both scale and scope, and as sport tourists’ needs and expectations have become more diverse and complex, so too have their sport tourist experiences. As such, one approach towards understanding the interaction between sport and tourism is to consider sport tourism as an experience. Sport tourism experiences are subjective and emotional, laden with symbolic meaning. From the perspective of the sport tourism consumer, a focus on experiences has arisen in response to the limitations of seeing consumer behaviour purely in terms of cognitive information processing (Morgan, 2007). Similarly, within the context of the development of the more youthful area of sport tourism research, it has previously been suggested that focusing on sport tourism as an experience can assist with addressing the concerns expressed by both Gibson (2005) and Weed (2006), respectively, that there should be a greater focus on understanding rather than describing sport tourism behaviours. It is with this in mind, and with an aim to assist with the academic progression from description to explanation, that this special issue follows this emerging path and continues to move studies beyond the profiling of sport tourists to a deeper understanding and a more meaningful explanation of the factors underlying their engagement. Journal of Sport & Tourism Vol. 17, No. 2, May 2012, pp. 81–84