EXPRESS: Advancing Diversity and Inclusion Through In-Person Esports Event Experiences Across Digital and Physical Gaming Spaces

Esports events, a rapidly growing industry with significant tourism potential, face diversity and inclusion challenges that limit their broader impact on destination development. This study explores these challenges, their causes, and how event experiences address them through key psychological mechanisms. A mixed-methods approach is adopted, grounded in the theory of generative interactions (TGI) and self-determination theory (SDT). Study 1 (qualitative) identified five diversity and inclusion issues, four underlying causes, and four roles of esports events. Study 2 (quantitative) revealed that high-quality event experiences foster behavioral intentions toward inclusivity, with intrinsic motivation—a sense of community and self-consciousness—serving as a mediator. This research enriches and diversifies the event-tourism literature and advances the discourse on diversity and inclusion in esports through the lens of unique psychological needs. The findings provide implementable strategies for event organizers and destination marketers to design event experiences that contribute to social sustainability and positive community impact.