A glimpse into the experience of a youth sport tourism consumer: an analysis of parents vs. coaches

ABSTRACT The newly coined ‘sport-cation' nature of youth sport is multifaceted, complex and under-researched. Given the scholars’ desire to provide actionable implications to sport practitioners, it was necessary to examine the complementary roles that the tourism attractions, sport event elements and customer service encounters play in achieving memorable experiences for youth sport consumers. To ensure the generalizability of the study’s findings, 7399 responses were captured from coaches and parents attending travel events representing volleyball, softball, baseball and lacrosse. Results from structural equation modeling reveal key touchpoints and organizational tactics that directly and indirectly influence goals spectators’, event practitioners’ and destination marketers’ hope to realize through youth sport (i.e. event satisfaction, word-of-mouth and repeat visit). For instance, attendees identified lodging experience, tournament format and destination amenities as experiential elements most germane to the service marketing mix. For sport organizations, findings underscore the importance of cocreation, relying upon community support and recommendation when designing and executing a youth sport travel event.