‘We're not the Barmy Army!’: reflections on the sports tourist experience

Abstract

Abstract This paper explores the dynamics of the interaction between the sports tourist and the destination through the insights of experience management literature applied to the 2005 British and Irish Lions rugby tour of New Zealand. It contrasts the managerial view that sports tourism is something to be controlled and stage‐managed, with the consumer behaviour view of the experience as a subjective emotional journey full of personal, social and cultural meanings. A holistic model of the interactions between visitors and destinations is proposed. From this, it is suggested that rather than trying to channel sports tourists into special areas, planners should give them space to create their own experiences by encouraging them to explore for themselves. As a result, the positive impact of sports tourism will be spread wider in the economy of the region. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.