Does the destination image change after hosting sport tourism events? A longitudinal study for the 2018 UCI World Cycling Championships

Hosting sports tourism events may also bring about possible image benefits, having the potential to generate future revenue opportunities by attracting visitors. Our research note presents the impact of a sport tourism event on destination image as perceived by tourists (fans) at the 2018 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Cycling Championships staged in Innsbruck-Tyrol, Austria. Our quantitative study measured changes in destination image longitudinally with a sample of N = 509 of the same participants in pre- and post-surveys. The findings indicate that the event seems to contribute positively to the cognitive image perceptions of “sport followers,” who perceive the destination (in this case Innsbruck-Tyrol) as more modern and more international after the event than before. However, regarding non-sport followers, while there is no change in the vector “modern-traditional,” a development toward “more international” can also be observed. The findings of this study provide initial support for the positive image impacts of sport tourism events among the people who follow sports.