Sports engagement and destination image: evidence from international tourists in Spain
Inés Küster, Cristina Aragonés-Jericó, Natalia Vila-LópezPurpose
Sports constitute a strategic pillar in enhancing destination image. This study aims to investigate the extent to which sports-related drivers (specifically sports clubs and sports celebrities) shape Spain's destination image. The research examines (1) the role of sports fans' engagement in determining perceptions of sports clubs and sports celebrities, (2) the subsequent influence of these perceptions on the overall image of Spain as a tourism destination, (3) the effect of destination image on trust and loyalty toward the country, (4) the impact of trust on destination loyalty and (5) the moderating function of tourists' knowledge of Spanish sports.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data were collected from a probabilistic sample of 1,015 tourists originating from Spain's major inbound markets (the United Kingdom, France and Germany). The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM), allowing for the simultaneous estimation of causal relationships among the constructs.
Findings
The analysis demonstrates that sports fans' engagement significantly enhances both sports club and sports celebrity image. These images, in turn, exert a positive effect on Spain's destination image. Moreover, destination image is shown to substantially increase both trust in the destination and destination loyalty. Trust also exerts a direct and positive influence on loyalty. Finally, tourists' knowledge of Spanish sports strengthens the relationship between engagement and sports image, while attenuating the influence of sports image on destination image.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that destination marketing organisations should strategically collaborate with sports clubs and athletes to strengthen destination image, trust and loyalty. Marketing campaigns should also be adapted according to tourists' knowledge of national sports, as less knowledgeable tourists respond more strongly to sports-related image transfer.
Originality/value
This study bridges existing gaps in sports and tourism literature by examining the combined influence of sports clubs, sports celebrities and fan engagement on destination image, trust and loyalty within an international tourist context. The incorporation of tourists' knowledge of Spanish sports as a moderating variable adds cultural depth to the theoretical model and generates relevant managerial implications for destination marketing and sports management practitioners.