Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 18

Case study - Essay Example The second category is active sport tourism. This category includes activity holidays and active events. The third category is event sport tourism. This includes the active and passive participation in sporting events (Gibson, 1998). Gibson (1998,p.49), further conceptualizes sport tourism to be in three distinct areas; traveling to take part in a sporting event; traveling to watch a sport; or travelling to celebrate, worship, or venerate a sport. More recent definitions of sport tourism argue that it is more than a two dimensional synergetic phenomenon. In a more intricate definition, sport tourism is a social, economic and cultural phenomenon that arises from the unique interaction of activity, people, and place (Weed & Bull, 2004, p. 37). Weymouth and Portland are located on the south coast of England. This area provides some of the best sailing waters in the UK. In addition to this, the area has facilities on land to complement the sailing activities that take place. Before the 2012 Olympic games, the area already had world class facilities but some few enhancements were necessary to ensure that the facilities were suitable enough to host the sailing competition during the main Olympics and the Paralympics (london2012.com). Considering that sailing is both a competitive and leisure sporting event, there were several types of sport tourist expected to be in the area during the Olympic period. Gibson conceptualizes sport tourism to be in three distinct areas; travelling to take part; travelling to watch; or travelling to celebrate, worship or venerate a sport. From his conceptualization, the types of tourists that can and were attracted to visit Weymouth and Portland