Event sport tourism business models: the case of trail running

Purpose Sporting events are the core of sport tourism. However, when it comes to business models (BM) in the context of event sport tourism, that is, how value is created and delivered at events, there is an obvious lack of research. The purpose of this paper is to deepen the understanding of BMs in the specific context of event sport tourism. Design/methodology/approach Focusing on trail-running sport events which are rapidly growing in popularity, the paper assesses actual events relative to the existing conceptual BM framework by using the analytical possibilities of the multiple-case study and by applying the interview and observation methods. Findings The results indicate that the core logic of the examined event-related sport tourism practices is very similar, although there are some significant differences. In addition, this study raises questions concerning potential modifications within the applied framework. Primarily, these relate to the partner network being identified as a second-order theme and an independent BM category and, communication with stakeholders (primarily with competitors), as a key process within the event BM. Originality/value This paper focuses on under-researched topics in the context of tourism, that is, the BM concept in relation to event sport tourism in general and trail-running sport tourism in particular. The paper provides a better understanding of the BM concept as a whole, and trail-running event sport tourism suppliers could benefit from the research findings by potentially avoiding business mistakes.