Towards a theory of collaborative advantage for the sports tourism policy arena

Abstract

Purpose -Collaboration is now an important part of public sector management. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that have helped shape the relationships between public agencies involved in sports tourism. Design/methodology/approach -Using critical case sampling 54 in-depth interviews were conducted with public officials in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Findings -The authors have produced the "Theory of collaborative advantage in relation to sports tourism". This model captures the dynamics of collaboration in the sports tourism policy arena. A total of 12 practitioner themes and four cross-cutting themes were identified and although each theme and the issues and tensions identified within it can affect inter-organizational relationships in a particular way, the model illustrates how each theme is interlinked and is part of a larger, more complex picture. Research limitations /implications -Like all empirical research, this paper has its limitations but if the issues that affect collaboration are not identified then they cannot be addressed. Although no two collaborative settings are the same, public sector managers need to be aware of the factors that affect, or may affect, inter-organizational relationships so that they can pre-empt problems and maximise the use of resources. Practical implications -Hopefully this paper will, in some way, lead to better planning and management of sports tourism and encourage those involved in sports tourism policy to adapt a collaborative, rather than an isolated, approach. Originality/value -This study has contributed to knowledge by providing a better understanding of the inter-relationships in the sports tourism policy arena.

Sport tourism collaboration: a systematic quantitative literature review

“…A stakeholder needs to play an coordinating role in collaboration through exchanging information regularly (Wäsche & Woll, 2013). Furthermore, the synthesis and application of the termcollaboration by several research (Devine et al, 2011;Jamal & Stronza, 2009;Wood & Gray, 1991) from management, tourism, and sport tourism perspectives identify some common features of collaboration including participants, autonomy, shared goals, resource sharing, and outcomes.…”

“…host-visitor conflict, ecological and environmental damage, and homogenising cultural identity) (Weed & Bull, 2004) generated by sport tourism. The stakeholders from these multiple domains need to engage in collaboration for the development of sport tourism and its exploitation (Devine et al, 2011;Swart et al, 2018). There is an increasing volume of literature on sport tourism studies.…”

“…In order to provide clear insights and understandings regarding the nature, scope, and necessity of collaboration in sport tourism, a number of studies have been conducted in sport tourism collaboration field, including conceptualisation of sport tourism collaboration (Harrison-Hill & Chalip, 2005;Radicchi, 2013;Standeven, 1998), stakeholders' network and collaboration (Devine, Boyle, & Boyd, 2011;Swart et al, 2018;Wäsche, 2015), sport and tourism policy links (Swart & Bob, 2007;Weed, 2003;Weed & Bull, 1997), and mega-sport based collaboration (Ahmed et al, 1996;Lim & Patterson, 2008;Othy & Swart, 2016). Several systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (Martin & Assenov, 2012;Van Rheenen, Cernaianu, & Sobry, 2017;Weed, 2006Weed, , 2009 have also been published in the sport tourism literature.…”

Contextualising Sport and Tourism in Central Africa: Prospects and Challenges

“…Jakovlev et al (2017) point out that, in present times, given the global market and its contemporary conditions, the relationship between sport and tourism is seen as a strategic point for advancing the goal of world tourism. However, Devine et al (2011) contend that tourism planning and policy development tend to take place within a framework that is so complex that it is beyond any single public sector organisational unit's scope. For example, Misener et al (2013) suggest that sport development occurs at multiple levels, including at the levels of local organisations, of individuals whose focus is on the specific requirements of sport, of national agencies, of volunteers, of the public, of the commercial sectors, as well as of transnational organ isations, whose main roles include establishing policy and exerting influence through funding.…”

Sports tourism in Russia: essential aspects and development problems

“…In an attempt to understand what at this modern stage of the society development the phenomenon of sports tourism is, we have conducted an analysis of Russian and foreign scientific literature on this topic. According to the authors Devine, A., Boyle, E. and Boyd, S. [3], sports tourism is certainly one of the types of tourism for tourists unsatisfied with traditional recreation (sun, sea and sand) who are looking for a variety of ways to spend their leisure time. The authors of [4] also believe that sports tourism is one of the types of tourism, while noting that sports tourism is based on sports events attended by tourists.…”