Visitor expenditure within a mountain bike event portfolio: Determinants, outcomes, and variations

ABSTRACT

Gradually community and scholarly support for large-scale sport events is declining as sustainability and efficiency are becoming primary concerns. Thus, a drive for the creation of small-scale event portfolios that comply with a community’s resources and infrastructure is developing. In the current study, a portfolio of four small-scale mountain bike events located in the Northwest United States were investigated to better understand their impact on the local economy. An online survey was conducted after each event that assessed visitor spending, travel behavior, and participant demographics resulting in a total sample of N = 614. Through general linear modeling, chi-square testing, and multiple regression each of the four events were compared with each other and determinants of visitor expenditure were tested. The results demonstrated the four events significantly differed in regards to total expenditure, daily expenditure, daily expenditure per person, trip duration, amount of travel party event participants, travel distance, age, income, and lodging type/location. Overall expenditure and daily expenditure per person were found to be significantly determined by participant travel distance, travel party size, trip duration, and income. Managerial implications derived from these results for destinations and event organizers are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Sport tourism
• event portfolio
• cycling tourism
• mountain biking
• visitor expenditure

Acknowledgements

The authors extend their sincere gratitude to Drs Eric White and Kreg Lindberg for their suggestions and Linfield College students Ms Katie Main and Mr Kadin Hashimato for their assistance. The authors would also like to thank the mountain bike event organizers and participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Richard J. Buning, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management in the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. His research focuses on sport tourism, event management, and sport development.

Zachary D. Cole, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, and Tourism's Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Program within the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. His research interests include adventure tourism, outdoor recreation, conservation management, and the application of geospatial technologies.

Jeff B. McNamee, PhD is a Professor at Linfield College in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Athletics. His research has focused on youth physical activity engagement and assessment with special attention on evidence-based approaches to increase physical activity opportunities for children and youth. At Linfield he teaches physical activity leadership, assessment and research design. In 2010, Dr McNamee formed a federally recognized non-profit focused on increasing trail capacity in Oregon.

ORCiD

Richard J. Buning http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0089-3967

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Linfield Center for the Northwest (LCN) and a Community Engaged Research to Classroom (CERC) grant.