Supplemental tourism activities: a conceptual framework to maximise sport tourism benefits and opportunities

Theoretical integration has been called for in sport tourism research in order to capture the synergies of existing contributions. In response, this article proposes a conceptual framework of supplemental tourism activities, which are motivated by secondary and/or tertiary tourism attractions that complement or reinforce tourism benefits and opportunities bestowed by a primary tourism attraction. This is achieved by integrating the sport and non-sport interactions into Hinch and Higham’s (2001) sport tourism attraction system. The conceptual framework presents three types of supplemental tourism activities that interplay not only within the four categories of sport tourism attractions (spectator-based events, participation-based events, active sports, heritage sports), but also across non-sport tourism attractions. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the specific context of Japan, and future directions for research are identified. A clear appreciation of supplemental tourism activities will help regional and national tourism organisations and businesses to understand and maximise the tourism benefits and opportunities associated with sports.