Planning for the Great Unknown: The Challenge of Promoting Spectator-driven Sports Event Tourism

Sports event tourism has rapidly evolved into one of the most fashionable facets of the 21st Century. As a result, staging highprofile fixtures are increasingly being seen as a prominent method of strengthening a destination’s domestic and international image. Despite the plethora of academic interest in special event management, there remains an apparent lack of knowledge surrounding the role played by public sector tourism planners. This paper examines narratives from representatives of New Zealand-based regional tourism organisations responsible for maximising the local benefits associated with hosting the 2005 British and Irish Lions Tour. While the ‘once in a lifetime’ nature of the six-week nationwide series was undoubtedly its biggest selling point, it was equally to blame for a multitude of hurdles encountered by regional operators. The findings identify a host of logistical and resource-based challenges, along with the manner in which such threats were overcome. Several recommendations are introduced, highlighting the need for consistent, yet flexible, approaches to regional sport event planning. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.