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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Profiling Major Sport Event Visitors: The 2002 Commonwealth Games

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It has become common practice for governments and municipalities around the world to bid for the right to host a major sporting event. Prior to embarking on the bidding process, politicians attempt to determine whether such an event will be of value to their municipality; and often focus on the estimated economic consequences of hosting such an event. Frequently, studies are commissioned to predict the event's economic value. However, these studies often miscalculate the potential impact of sport event visitors as consumers. We argue that enhanced profiling of these visitors will enable a more accurate assessment of economic impact. The current research surveys 1,196 spectators of the 2002 Commonwealth Games to demonstrate four important aspects of visitor profiles related to economic impact: (i) visitor typology, (ii) sport tourist behaviors, (iii) consumption patterns determined by interest, and (iv) consumption patterns determined by distance traveled. Overall, the work makes three important contributi...