Tourism, ecotourism and sport tourism: the framework for certification
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for identifying the need for ecotourism certification within ecotourism and sport tourism (EST) by discussing the overlapping characteristics on the dimensions of EST.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitatively, the Social Exchange Theory was used to discover segments of tourists based on the two dimensions: EST.
Findings
The findings discovered four strategic segments (namely; vacation, green, action oriented and active tourists), their related activities, and the level of need for eco certification.
Practical implications
EST activities offer a unique opportunity for tourism managers to positively influence conservation in and around communities, protected areas and sport events. Applying and implementing a global eco certification is paramount to attract tourists and enhance credibility of sport tourism.
Originality/value
Identification of the four tourists segments and their relative need for certification is the novelty of the study. The labels of the identified tourist segments are: vacation tourist (low on ecotourism and low on sport tourism); green tourist (high on ecotourism and low on sport tourism); action-oriented tourist (high on ecotourism and high on sport tourism); and active tourist (low on ecotourism and high on sport tourism). The certification needs for green and action-oriented tourists are HIGH, for active tourist is MEDIUM, and for vacation tourist is LOW.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors sincerely thank Dr Vanessa Ratten and the two anonymous reviewers whose comments were very useful in revising the manuscript. The authors would also like to thank Dr Nnamdi Madichie for his suggestions on earlier draft of the manuscript.
Citation
Singh, S., Dash, T.R. and Vashko, I. (2016), "Tourism, ecotourism and sport tourism: the framework for certification", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 236-255. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-09-2014-0180
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited