Segmentation of sports tourists: The case of the formula 1 spectator

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to identify groups of visitors to a specific sporting event; the European Grand Prix F1, focusing on the sport consumption motivation and the characteristics that define these groups. The aim is to understand the different profiles of visitors to sporting events. Cluster analysis was used with a sample of 148 national and international tourists attending the event. The results show that there are four well-defined groups: the social group (those who gain strong social connotations by attending the event, 17.6% of the sample), the ostentatious group (accounting for 17.5% of the sample with a high monthly net income and no special motivation to attend), the intrepid group (37.8% of the sample, driven by the adrenaline and emotion of the experience) and the experienced group (the remaining 20%, great connoisseurs of the sporting event). In conclusion, sports event tourists have different characteristics and different consumption behaviors that must be taken into account by decision makers in the tourism sector.