Sports and Tourism from Different Perspectives
Chapter from the book:
Uluç,
E.
A.
&
Yıldız,
M.
(eds.)
2023.
Current Approaches in the Field of Sports Sciences II.
Synopsis
Sport has become a significant pursuit through which individuals can distance themselves from challenging living conditions for personal rejuvenation by engaging in various activities. An essential element of economic, social, and cultural development, sports activities aim to enhance individuals' psychological and physical well-being. These activities facilitate personal development and adaptation to the environment, fostering solidarity, friendship, and peace among individuals, communities, and nations. Engaging in specific competitive standards not only fosters excitement and achieving superiority but also enhances an individual's capacity for resilience.Tourism encompasses all events and relationships resulting from an individual's temporary stay as long as they do not establish permanent residency or engage in income-generating activities. The relationship between sports and tourism stems from the significant role of sports and sports events in people's lives and society, driving the tourism industry. Due to the unique characteristics of international sports events, they are said to be closely connected to tourism. Sports tourism involves traveling to participate in or watch sports-related activities. In other words, it encompasses all types of active (participant) and passive (spectator) sports activities that may be undertaken daily or organized for non-commercial purposes, requiring movement from one's place of residence. Thus, tourism related to sports is a globally recognized significant sector.This section aims to examine the compatibility between the concepts of sport and tourism. Furthermore, it attempts to explain the relationship between these two concepts, approached from different perspectives, and one of today's most popular sports branches, E-Sports. E-Sports tourism is a thematic tourism activity primarily centered around E-Sports events and activities. E-Sports enthusiasts leave their homes to follow E-Sports events and participate, heading towards the venue of the organization. Essentially, E-Sports tourism is a newly emerged form of event tourism that is not fundamentally different from traditional event sports tourism.