Residents’ Perceptions of Sports Tourism Impacts: Host Provinces Perspective of Sporting Events in Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine Thai residents’ perceptions towards the sports tourism impacts. A total of 1,104 useful questionnaires selected residents from Bangkok/Chiang Mai/Chonburi/ Nakhon Ratchasima/Phuket were analyzed. An original sports tourism impacts scale comprising 23 items was purified by exploratory factor analysis, revealing 21 impacts items with four impact factors: cultural, environmental and social benefits, cultural, social, and economic costs, economic benefits, and environment deterioration. It was found that four factors which explained 59.96% of variance in residents’ perceptions were both benefits and costs. The findings of this study can be used as valuable information for realizing how residents perceive the impacts of sports tourism, and consequently government/related organizations should consider.