with different backgrounds and interests are
encouraged to identify additional themes as
well as to project their own perspectives within
each theme.
Sport dimension
The sport dimension gives this framework a
unique focus on sport as an attraction. Each
sport theme re¯ects the elements that emerged
from the earlier discussion of the domain of
sport. Under the ®rst theme, individual sports
are characterised by their own rule structure,
which dictates their spatial and temporal
characteristics at the attraction level. A variety
of research questions therefore can be pursued
that have direct bearing on the management
and design of sport attractions. For example,
what are the implications of rule changes on
the essence of the sport's attraction? Will the
changes have an impact on the propensity of
spectators to travel to the sporting event?
Competition forms a second theme within
the sport dimension. A variety of issues exist in
this area that have received little attention to
date. One example is whether the level or type
of competition associated with a particular
sport, in¯uences the nature of the travel
experience. Using skiing as a case in point,
how important is the nature of competition as a
determinant of the visitor's perception of the
destination? For example, do highly competi-
tive skiers develop similar perceptions of a ski
destination in comparison to less competitive
skiers? Alternatively, sport performance may
be a more signi®cant factor in terms of its
in¯uences on the sense of place that a compe-
titive skier develops for a particular ski
destination in that the athlete's view of the
destination may be more positive the better that
he or she performed while at that destination.
The playful nature of sport represents the
last major thematic area represented within the
sport dimension of the research framework. It
encompasses a broad range of potential lines of
inquiry, including but not limited to the
uncertainty of sport outcomes, sanctioned
display, and the utility and seriousness of
sport. One of the most intriguing character-
istics of sport tourism in this regard is the
relationship between the uncertainty of sport
outcomes and the concept of authenticity as it
has been discussed within the ®eld of tourism.
Given trends toward the positioning of profes-
sional sport as part of the entertainment
industry and in extreme cases, as spectacle,
the competitive advantages related to the
authenticity of sport needs to be studied
carefully.
The sanctioned display aspect of this theme
also suggests a number of research possibilities
that converge around the type of involvement
that sport tourists may have with sport. At a
very basic level, the distinction between
athletes and spectators as sport tourists needs
further attention. However, this distinction
represents only two of many types of sport
involvement (Kenyon, 1969), including that of
coaches, management and of®cials. A broad
range of research questions can be raised about
the socio-demographic characteristics, travel
behaviours and impacts of each of these
groups of sport tourists.
An additional line of inquiry under this
theme is whether the nature of the travel
experience varies between amateur and pro-
fessional sport tourists. Perhaps a prerequisite
question is whether professional athletes
should even be considered tourists given that
they are remunerated for their travel. Simi-
larly, the whole issue of commodi®cation of
sport poses some interesting questions that
have been raised in the context of other types
of tourism.