1. CONFERENCE REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1ST COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE ON SPORT
TOURISM
“Sport Tourism and Sustainability:
Inter-relationships, Impacts and Issues”
13th-15th MAY 2008
KOTA KINABALU, SABAH, MALAYSIA
Organised by
Commonwealth Tourism Centre
Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIA
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2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The aim of the 1st Commonwealth Conference on Sport Tourism, which was
officially opened by Sabah’s Head of State, Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji
Ahmadshah Bin Abdullah, was to provide a platform for international, national and
regional policy makers, practitioners and academics to share their experiences,
exchange ideas and explore avenues to enhance further the development of sport
tourism across the Commonwealth. This was achieved through a critical
examination of three core themes: sport tourism development; sport tourism issues,
impacts and opportunities; and, case studies of sport tourism in practice.
The first day of the conference was launched with a keynote presentation delivered
by the Hon. Dato’ Sri Azalina Dato’ Othman Said, Minister of Tourism, Malaysia
where the importance of sport tourism was outlined, the implications of future
development for the Malaysian tourism industry highlighted, and the role of
government in supporting sport tourism development discussed. The theme of
sport tourism development in the small island nations of the Commonwealth was
then taken up by Mr Nikhil Treebhoohun of the Commonwealth Secretariat. He
outlined the need for a coherent and integrated national development strategy and
called for a clear and sustainable destination management strategy as a way
forward to ensure success; before a general overview of the inter-relationships
between sport and tourism was provided by Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, special
advisor on tourism & sports to the UN WTO Secretary-General. The first session
concluded with a presentation delivered by the Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board,
Dato’ Seri Dr. Tengku Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood, who provided an extensive
overview of the sport tourism opportunities that exist within Sabah.
The second session began with Mr. Derek Casey, Bid Director for the Glasgow
2014 Commonwealth Games, who outlined suitable strategies to successfully
attract international sports events. This informative presentation included aspects
relating to the background of the successful bid, the key elements which defined
the bid and the planning for the legacies to follow the Games in 2014. The
presentation also included discussion on community impacts, impacts on tourism
and the wider economy, and the overall positioning of the city in terms of inward
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3. investment. Professor Mike Weed from Canterbury Christchurch University, UK,
then looked at developing policy for sport & tourism, and particular issues that are
relevant for smaller and developing countries, together with suggestions for the
ways in which policy can be made in relation to the particular geographic, cultural
and economic contexts of smaller developing nations. This presentation was
followed by Mr. Kunaseelan Senathirajah, Group Director from QI Ltd, who outlined
the role of corporate sponsorship in sport tourism development before Mr. Peter
Gilmour concluded the second session with an overview of the Monsoon Cup, part
of The World Match Racing Tour, the world’s leading professional sailing series,
which is held in the Malaysian east coast state of Terengganu. Following the
completion of the first day of the conference, dinner was hosted by Sabah Tourism
Board, which included a series of cultural performances that highlighted the rich
and diverse ethnic mix of Sabah.
The second day of the conference was divided into three sessions, addressing
issues, impacts and opportunities for sport tourism. The first presentation of
session three of the conference was delivered by Professor James Higham from
the University of Otago, New Zealand, who analysed how sport can be staged as a
destination product. This was followed by a presentation from Mr Azlan Akil from
the Sepang International Circuit in which he addressed issues linked to investment
in Formula 1, and how the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix (PMGP) is used as a
tool to promote Malaysia as a brand to attract tourists and to show the world
Malaysia’s capability in hosting sporting events. The third presentation in this
session was delivered by Mr Terry Cummins from PADI Worldwide who shared his
experience on how recreational scuba diving has emerged as a contributor to the
enhancement of the travel experience. He revealed how the dive industry is
endeavouring to cater to the contemporary traveller’s need to experience life
enriching activities whilst on the other hand meeting the demands of the tourist
industry for greater diversity in resort activity portfolios and how it can benefit local
communities.
Session four of the conference began with Professor Leo Jago from Victoria
University, Australia, who outlined the triple bottom-line approach to sport tourism
evaluation, and argued that this approach is essential if sport tourism in general,
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4. and sport events in particular are to realise their full potential such that host
destinations can truly benefit from the experience. Professor Adam Blake from
Bournemouth University, UK, then outlined the economic impacts of sport tourism
and the ways in which organisers and destinations can maximise the tourism
benefits of sporting events. Professor Blake concluded that a full examination of
the economic impact of a sporting event should not only provide a balanced view
for organisers and the public sector but also provide a rationale for public support
and identify programmes to improve the economic benefits that an event can bring.
Professor Tom Hinch, from the University of Alberta, Canada, then argued that
sport tourism has advantages over other types of tourism based on place and
authenticity while Glenn Hamilton, the Director of Event Development and Contract
Management of EventsCorp, Western Australia, closed the session with a
presentation on maximising the media impact at sporting events. This presentation
focused on the importance to sport tourism destinations of increasing brand
visibility and the need to undertake research to evaluate the effectiveness of media
coverage amongst key national and international markets.
The fifth session of the conference started with Professor Laurence Chalip,
University of Texas, USA, who suggested that sporting events can be leveraged to
optimise economic, social, and/or environmental objectives. Professor Chalip also
identified a range of tactics and strategies that can be used by destinations to
maximise the benefits of sport tourism activity. Andrew Walsh, Executive Producer
of the opening and closing ceremonies of both the Athens 2004 Olympic and
Paralympic Games and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, then
delivered a presentation on developing cultural programmes for sporting events.
He argued that sport and culture are, and have always be inexorably linked, and
that highly organised ceremonies have always been part of marking and
celebrating significant events, and illustrated how ceremonies can set the stage for
sport and also convey enduring values. Mr Anthony Wong of Asian Overland
Services Tours & Travel then examined some of the business opportunities that
sport tourism presents for tour operators. He said that tour operators must evolve
and acquire new skills to survive and thrive to become event organisers and
human resource trainers in order to enjoy the new business opportunities.
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5. The final presentation of day two was from Dr Ian Jones from Bournemouth
University, UK, who delivered a presentation that focused upon the concept of
‘serious sport tourism’, and examined the means by which classifying tourists in
this manner may be used to attract serious sport tourists to a destination or event,
and to enhance their experiences whilst there. Upon completion of the second day
of the conference, an editorial board meeting of the Journal of Sport Tourism was
held, which was then followed by Dinner, hosted by Tourism Malaysia.
The third and final day of the conference began with Professor Simon Hudson from
the University of Calgary who looked at strategies for the successful marketing of
sport tourism, addressing the latest trends impacting sport tourism in the world
today, and outlining how sport tourism marketers can respond to these trends,
segment their markets and deliver memorable sport tourism experiences. This was
followed by Professor Ernie Heath from the University of Pretoria, South Africa,
who delivered a presentation on promoting FIFA World Cup 2010 and its impact on
South African tourism. Professor Heath’s paper highlighted the building blocks
being put in place to optimize the tourism and destination marketing opportunities
relating to the hosting of the event; the key challenges that need to be addressed
to ensure that the envisaged legacies are realized; key lessons to be learnt from
previous mega-event host destinations; and the critical success factors to ensure a
unique sporting event. Mohammed Rosly Md. Selamat then addressed issues
relating to event and sponsorship marketing, with specific reference to the
experiences of KL98, the XVI Commonwealth Games. His presentation looked at
developing and building partnerships with sponsors, the impact of the
Commonwealth Games on a host nation, issues linked to raising revenue and
funding for sporting events, and a review of the benefits of the Games to the sport
and tourism industries respectively.
The penultimate session of the conference began with a presentation from
Professor Graham Brown, University of South Australia, who outlined strategies for
securing benefits from the sponsorship of sport. His presentation focused on sport
events and explored the wide range of critical resources that are made available by
sponsors which, in turn, are able to use events to achieve corporate objectives.
Paul Simpson, Deputy Chief Executive of Marketing Manchester, UK, then
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6. examined how major sporting events are being used to promote Manchester in its
targeted national and international markets, along with examining the legacy
outcomes from hosting major sporting events. He also focused upon why sport is
important in the marketing of Manchester and used the case studies of the
Commonwealth Games, the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final and the Year of
Sport 08 to illustrate how these events have been used to promote the city. The
final presentation of the conference was delivered by Professor Leo Jago from
Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, who provided a detailed summary of the
key themes addressed during the conference and potential opportunities to
progress sport tourism in the future, across the Commonwealth. This was also an
opportunity for delegates to debate some of these prominent ideas and identify
recommendations to progress these issues. Professor Jago, in consultation with
both Alan Fyall and Richard Shipway from Bournemouth University, UK, and the
CTC identified eight underlying themes that emerged during the three days of the
conference. The eight prominent themes explored in the final presentation included
an analysis of the benefits of sport tourism; the extensive potential that exists for
future sport tourism development in the Commonwealth; the role of sport tourism
destinations in facilitating sporting activity; the government’s role in future sport
tourism development; the infrastructure requirements of sport tourism; the need for
effective evaluation of sporting events and the impacts of sport tourism; the
increasing importance of creating authentic visitor experiences for the sport tourists
and finally, the extensive legacy opportunities that sport tourism activity can
provide.
The remainder of this report explores further the recurring themes that emerged
from the conference. The first key theme emerging from the conference was the
benefits that can arise from sport tourism. This included discussions highlighting
that sporting events should not be seen in isolation but rather they should form part
of an overall strategic development plan; that sport tourism is the glue for the
strategic vision of a destination; sport and tourism form a symbiotic relationship;
sport and culture are inexorably linked; ceremonies convey enduring values and
set the stage for sport; the necessity to ensure authenticity; the need for place
based strategies; arguments that sport can serve as a competitive advantage; and
that sustainability requires strategic management.
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7. The second key theme explored the extensive potential that sport tourism activity
can provide. Delegates and presenters identified that sport tourism generates
peace and goodwill; can be used to motivate and inspire young people; can foster
local participation; assists with building bridges of understanding between different
cultures, lifestyles and traditions; requires collaborations and partnerships; can
foster uniqueness; must adopt long term perspectives; and can address issues on
social sustainability. Linked to this second theme were presentations linked to the
importance of leveraging sport tourism benefits; the need to help journalists find
stories; a requirement to identify USP’s; the importance of brand usage and the
consistent use of brand; and that destinations must ensure that core values of
sport are protected.
The role of the destination was highlighted as the third key emerging area for
discussion. A range of issues were addressed on this theme including
recommendations that future development must be government led – private
sector driven – community based; there should be a focus on safety and security;
there is a need to secure the support of the community; there is a requirement to
serve local interests; development should build regional markets; consideration of
the promotion of low investment sports particularly for developing countries; a need
to protect the destination’s resources & sense of place; and also identifying that
sport is a window to the destination.
The fourth recurring theme involved the role of government in supporting and
facilitating sport tourism development incorporating discussions on the need for the
provision of an enabling environment; various debates on sport tourism policy
issues; differing opinions on the need for sport tourism strategies; provision of
structures in support of strategy development & delivery; ability to foster
partnerships; and a requirement for stakeholder management. The fifth theme
revolved around the infrastructure requirements for sport tourism. It was
suggested that infrastructure must be relevant for the size of the community;
should utilise and link with existing infrastructure; while there remains a need to
explore sport tourism options within the limits of existing infrastructure.
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8. The sixth prominent conference theme explored the requirement for sport tourism
evaluation. There is a need to increase measurement & understanding using
quantitative & qualitative approaches; this should be consistent & realistic; be
holistic; should consider the sporting event portfolio; and must be assessed against
sport tourism strategy/objectives. The penultimate theme revolved around sport
tourism legacy, emphasising that planning is crucially important. Discussions
highlighted the need to maximise the long-term benefit for sport tourism regions or
destinations; that legacy crosses economic, social & environmental boundaries; it
applies also to recurring events; and it is possible to learn from past experience as
legacy is often not realised. The final dominant theme identified the importance of
experiences within sport tourism. The conference highlighted the importance of
providing authentic visitor experiences; sharing of experiences; identified that sport
tourism activity is about more than just the event location; there is a requirement to
understand behaviours, motivations and experiences of the sport tourist; that
different segments of the sport tourism market have different requirements; and it
is crucially important for sport tourism providers to deliver unique place based
experiences
To close the 1st Commonwealth Conference on Sport Tourism, Mr Abdul
Rahman Shaari, Director General of the Commonwealth Tourism Centre (CTC)
then addressed the delegates with some final comments and observations on sport
tourism and sustainability, which was a well measured assessment of the three
days of the conference. It is hoped that this ground breaking conference on the
issues, impacts and opportunities for sport tourism development, and the main
emerging conference themes can now be explored and revisited in far greater
depth at a future sport tourism conference, to be hosted within the Commonwealth.
Sport Tourism has been clearly identified as an integral part of Commonwealth
tourism and sport industries respectively, and an area that provides extensive
opportunities across the diverse spectrum of Commonwealth countries.
For the future, and in consultation with the conference keynote presenters,
conference delegates and the Commonwealth Tourism Centre (CTC), the following
recommendations are advanced to progress sport tourism issues, impacts and
opportunities across the Commonwealth. It is recommended that:
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9. i. Commonwealth governments support the CTC in advancing research
into the policy structures and strategic initiatives deemed necessary to
maximise leverage and enhance legacy from sport tourism development
across the Commonwealth and into research that underpins the closer
integration of sport and tourism;
ii. The CTC establish an interim Sport Tourism Scoping Group to serve as
the intellectual custodian of (i) and seek ways in which to maximise the
dissemination of outputs and influence across the Commonwealth;
iii. The CTC engage fully with Commonwealth countries seeking to develop
their sport tourism product and contribute to the formation and
development of suitable partnerships and structures to facilitate the
planning and implementation of sport tourism destinations;
iv. The CTC develop a Sport Tourism Educational Programme that can be
delivered in partnership with academics and practitioners to
governments across the Commonwealth and so raise the awareness
and potential of sport tourism as an agent for change;
v. The CTC commit to identifying a Commonwealth country to host a
second conference on Sport Tourism in 2010 and seek to build on the
excellent foundations and networks arising from the first conference held
in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in May 2008.
vi. Governments across the Commonwealth commit to a closer working
relationship between Ministries in an attempt to enhance levels of
sporting participation through tourism for both host communities and
visitors.
Prepared by:
Alan Fyall, Leo Jago and Richard Shipway
Additional information, photographs and delegates’ comments furnish by CTC
June 2008
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10. CONFERENCE PHOTOS
Guest of Honour, Tun Datuk Seri
Panglima Haji Ahmadshah
Abdullah, Sabah’s Head of State
seated with other VIPs during the
opening ceremony of the
conference
Sabah’s Head of State beating the
gong to mark the official opening of
the conference
VIPs and participants during the
opening ceremony of the
conference
VIPs and speakers were given a
traditional welcome
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11. Sabah’s Head of State with the Delegates registering for the
Minister of Tourism, Malaysia and conference
Director General of CTC visiting
one of the booths after the opening
ceremony
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Speakers during one of the
Environment, Sabah, Datuk Masidi Manjun conference sessions
and DG of CTC listening attentively to the
presentation by one of the speakers
Participants enjoying a traditional dance during the
welcome dinner hosted by the Sabah Tourism Board
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12. Participants include the Hon. Minister of
Tourism, Trinidad & Tobago (second
from right)
A participant posing a question during the Q & A
session
Director General delivering his
closing remarks
Some of the participants having a
discussion while waiting for the
para sailers during the Welcome
Reception hosted by the Hon.
Minister of Tourism, Malaysia
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13. Dato’ Dr. Ong Hong Peng, CTC staff busy registering a
Secretary General of Ministry of participant at the secretariat
Tourism, Malaysia with VIPs at the
Welcome Reception
Members of the Secretariat Complimentary city tour after two
demonstrating a ‘Poco poco’ dance and a half day conference
accompanied by a Kulintangan
group Rumpun Seri
‘Selamat Jalan’ or Bon Voyage
banner at the Kota Kinabalu
International Airport
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15. WHAT THE DELEGATES SAID ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
“Congratulations for a very well organised conference. Good participation
from other countries and many excellent presentations. It has succeeded in
raising CTC’s profile and done Malaysia proud.” Datuk Dr. Victor Wee (former
Secretary General, Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia).
“Thanks for organising such an excellent conference.” Professor Simon
Hudson, University of Calgary, Canada
“I thank you for the organisation of this conference which was extremely
enriching” Gabriel Komora, Sports Stadia Management Board, Kenya
“The recent conference provided a great opportunity for delegates to better
understand sport tourism, the marketing events, activities and locations” Lee
Abbot, Golf Images, United Kingdom
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Commonwealth
Tourism Centre for your glorious success in organising the event would
benefit greatly our tourism industry” Muhaini Ali, UEM Land Berhad, Malaysia
“…truly it is an UNFORGETTABLE CONFERENCE!!!!!!!” Maya Pranesh Rao,
Aid India Ltd., India
“I would like to thank you very much for the great organisation during this
past conference, as well as your warm hospitality” Christophe Altaie, QI Ltd.,
Singapore
“Congratulations on organising a very successful conference. Everyone that I
spoke to considered it to have been very valuable, enjoyable and well
organised. I particularly enjoyed the delegate mix in terms of where people
were from and their positions/areas of responsibility. They made it very
colourful and I think they found the presentations to be useful. I hope there
will be a second conference.” Prof. Graham Brown, University of South Australia,
Australia
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16. “I would like to congratulate the CTC team on organising and hosting an
excellent conference. You all did your organisation and your country proud.
I would also like to thank you sincerely for having been afforded the
opportunity to contribute to this great event. I feel so much richer for having
had this experience.” Prof. Ernie Heath, University of Pretoria, South Africa
“Congratulations to the staff of CTC for a very well organised conference and
for the warm hospitality” Lionel Teo, Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore
“Congratulations on the completion of the Sport Tourism Conference”
Pengiran Hassanal Bahar bin Pengiran Bagul, University Malaysia Sabah,
Malaysia
“Overall, the conference is a success” Mohd Azman Mohd Alwy, Sultan Haji
Ahmad Shah Polytechnic, Malaysia
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