The Potential of Narrative Research in Sports Tourism

Narrative inquiry, as one way of theorising and conducting qualitative research, has not been considered by researchers interested in the relationship between sport and tourism, although there is an increasing debate about the greater use of interpretive qualitative research in this area. In a modest effort to galvanize researchers and offer a direction for scholarship, this article seeks to explore narrative as one form of interpretive research. We first offer an understanding of what narrative inquiry can be by laying out a theoretical basis for this kind of research, and making a case for the relevance of narrative as an alternative methodology. Next, consideration is given to conducting narrative research in sports tourism. The article closes by suggesting that narrative inquiry is a germane way of theorising and doing research within sports tourism.