Author Information

Jatin ThakurFollow

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Jatin is a motivated professional with over 8 years of experience in the tourism industry with a diverse portfolio. Founder of a travel company, knowledge of Amadeus and Sabre Global Distribution systems, passionate about traveling & writing, and creator of a YouTube travel channel. Jatin is a graduate of Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC, Canada with a Master's Degree in Tourism Management focused on research in Sports Tourism.

Abstract (150 Words)

This research examines the motivations and experiences at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia through an auto ethnographic approach providing a reflective analysis of the experience undertaken by the researcher. This research also carried a quantitative study through survey questionnaires to complement and triangulate the data collected through the qualitative approach. The results from both of the studies indicated that prestige, ease of access, unique experiences, personal associations, community and excitement are the major factors influencing the decision of sports tourists to travel to Russia for the World Cup. The thesis referenced a number of scholars and their theories to create a theoretical framework assisting in the research. Findings from this research complemented and verified previous studies done in the field of sports tourism. The data on associated tourism experiences may have implications that destination management organizations should consider to design strategies. The findings suggest that sports tourism is a vast area of study that can be dissected further to learn more about the motivations, experiences and expectations of sports tourists.

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Sports Tourism: An Exploration of Motivations, Experiences and Personal Reflections at the FIFA World Cup 2018 In Russia

This research examines the motivations and experiences at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia through an auto ethnographic approach providing a reflective analysis of the experience undertaken by the researcher. This research also carried a quantitative study through survey questionnaires to complement and triangulate the data collected through the qualitative approach. The results from both of the studies indicated that prestige, ease of access, unique experiences, personal associations, community and excitement are the major factors influencing the decision of sports tourists to travel to Russia for the World Cup. The thesis referenced a number of scholars and their theories to create a theoretical framework assisting in the research. Findings from this research complemented and verified previous studies done in the field of sports tourism. The data on associated tourism experiences may have implications that destination management organizations should consider to design strategies. The findings suggest that sports tourism is a vast area of study that can be dissected further to learn more about the motivations, experiences and expectations of sports tourists.