A Small-Scale Event and a Big Impact—Is This Relationship Possible in the World of Sport? The Meaning of Heritage Sporting Events for Sustainable Development of Tourism—Experiences from Poland

Abstract

The theoretical part of this article presents the meaning of sporting events for the tourism industry and the importance of sporting events at a small scale, as well as heritage sporting events for sustainable development of tourist destinations. The literature review shows that there is a clear research gap with respect to the analysis of economic and social impacts of small-scale events. The empirical research was conducted by the method of a diagnostic survey during three sporting events of different rank, which took place in Poland and represented various sports disciplines—running, horse riding, and swimming. A total of 2098 respondents took part in the study, including sports tourists and resident-hosts who took part in the studied events. The aim of the study was to examine whether there is a link between the rank of a sporting event, the development of tourism, and the impact on the host city’s image. The results of the study showed that the highest additional tourism activity in the city on the occasion of participation in an event as an athlete or supporter was undertaken by the participants of the lowest ranked sporting event (Half-Marathon). They also gave the highest rating of the positive impact of a sporting event on the host city’s image. The hosts also rated the highest social impact from the Half-Marathon (i.e., increased sense of pride, social integration, and local identity). Events related to the heritage of the sport of a given region and other smaller-scale sporting events, including mass sports and recreation events (e.g., marathons and other running events), provide an alternative to homogenized, commercial, and very expensive sporting events in the world and may contribute to the sustainable development of tourist regions. The research results show that big social potential lies in the organization of small-scale sports events. The reflections contained in this article may inspire the organization of small-scale sporting events and the continued care for sporting events related to the cultural heritage of a given region. Events of this kind successfully impact tourist revival and improvement of the regions’ image.

The Impact of Modern Ultramarathons on Shaping the Social Identity of Runners. The Case Study of Karkonosze Winter Ultramarathon

“…Recently, researchers focused mainly on mass, popular, street runs/cycling events in the context of their meaning for sporting events and active tourism or in the context of motivation for running/cycling or health implications for runners/cyclists [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. Sporting events have been analyzed as a tourist phenomenon [30][31][32][33][34] and the social identity of athletes is rarely investigated in this area. The dynamic growth of running sports events is a result of different factors.…”

Perceptions and Role of Tourist Destination Residents Compared to Other Event Stakeholders in a Small-Scale Sports Event. The Case of the FIS World Junior Alpine Ski Championships 2019 in Val di Fassa

“…There is a feeling among residents that they are a small community with spatial and economic limitations, which however possesses a strong cultural identity that should be strengthened and nurtured, above all, in the younger age groups to create a true competitive advantage both in the case of sports events and in tourism communication. Both the quantitative and qualitative analysis demonstrated that intangible social dimensions may be clearer [50]. The research results reveal that the residents pay great attention to sports events, even small-scale ones.…”

“…In some cases, sports events represent one of the most important attractions for the tourist destination, causing serious losses in the case of cancellation [47]. The literature presents an important evolution also with respect to the issue of sustainability at small-scale sports events and their impact on destinations, which in most cases are rural or peripheral areas rather than cities or areas with strong urbanization [42,[48][49][50]. There are several studies that document how small-scale sports events represent a form of sustainable tourism for communities [2,42].…”

Tourism Investment Gaps in Poland

“…When planning investments, the investor must take into account the needs of tourists. Festivals as an element embedded in the local ecosystems of sport, culture and business [41]; • Events related to the sport heritage of the region and other smaller sports events, including mass sporting and recreational events [42].…”