Service Quality Experience and Customers’ Behavioural Intentions in Active Sport Tourism

This paper analyzes the role played by experience in the loyalty and intent to return of sports tourists to a running race. The data for this study were collected through an online questionnaire filled in by 984 participants of one of the most important international running races in Italy. A regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the data. The results showed that aesthetic dimensions (the valence and the venue) were the principal determinant of loyalty for active sports tourists. The principal determinants of the intent to return were the venue and the technical quality (the value and the challenge). This study provides suggestions for future research and gives useful insights into managerial implications for sports tourism management.