Towards the Development of an Innovative Sustainable Sports Tourism Management Framework for Portugal

Sport tourism assumes an increasingly important role in the world tourism panorama, being seen by several nations as a strategic catalyst for the individual and collective emancipation of territories and their communities. The growing synergy between sports and the tourism sector and its potential as a strategic tourism product for the sustainable development of destinations has long been acknowledged; so much so that it has given rise to the positioning of a highly competitive and complex sector, transcending far beyond the organization of sporting events. In Portugal, Sports Tourism has experienced profound growth over the last decade, now estimated to be worth between 10% and 25% of total international travel and tourism revenues (PwC, 2021). While sports tourism presents valuable opportunities for further destination development and growth driving many positive outcomes in local economies, it can also be viewed as an important factor for the promotion and international recognition of these same territories. As a result, Destination Management Organizations (DMO) and other key stakeholder have begun to place an increased focus on the use of sports to promote and improve Portugal's positioning as a sports tourism destination. This research, while in its early stages, recognises a current gap in knowledge in relation to the development of existing frameworks or strategies implemented and applied by DMO’s or policy makers within destinations to effectively develop and manage a sustainable and competitive sport tourism offering. However, in light of the challenges faced by destinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a necessity that destinations look to develop and plan for sports tourism in a sustainable manner. This research therefore sets forth to contribute to new knowledge in relation to the development of an innovative Sustainable Sports Tourism Management Framework for Portugal with the aim to propose a new comprehensive conceptual framework for the effective sustainable development and management of sports tourism in Portugal.