Sports Brands and Tourism: Unexpected Perspectives of Mutual Development
Tianxiao Cao1*
1Rennes School of Business, Rennes, France
*Correspondence to: Tianxiao Cao, MSc, Rennes School of Business, 2 rue Robert d’Arbrissel, CS 76522 35065, Rennes Cedex, France; Email: tianxiao.cao@rennes-sb.com
DOI: 10.53964/mem.2023009
Abstract
Methods: This study uesd the event analysis method for research. Choose the Qatar World Cup as the research object, regard it as an important sports tourism event and sports brand marketing event. Citations from related articles provided the basis for this study. This approach can provide insight into the performance and impact of the combination of sports tourism and sports branding at the World Cup in Qatar, making a meaningful contribution to the research field.
Results: The research results showed that there are some problems in sports tourism at present, but the future development potential is huge, especially after the epidemic is over. Sports tourism will usher in rapid development. The combination of tourism and sports can not only enhance the popularity of tourist destinations but also bring huge economic benefits. To sum up, the conclusion of this paper is that the combination of sports brands and tourism has broad market prospects.
Keywords: sports tourism, sports brand, sustainable development
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of Sports Tourism
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry is facing unprecedented difficulties and challenges. People stay at home and isolate at home. The governments of many countries advise people not to go out unless necessary. This has plunged the tourism industry, which relies on passenger flow for income Stagnation. Without tourists, scenic spots have no source of income, and many small tourist attractions have even declared bankruptcy. Travel was banned, social distance prevented closer encounters between people, and tourism was put on hold. Despite state interventions, many people still lost their jobs[1]. However, with the gradual end of COVID-19, countries all over the world have begun to gradually relax inbound tourism policies, which has ushered in a wave of peak development of tourism, especially this year, with the Qatar World Cup, the two concepts of sports and tourism are intricately linked together. People have gradually discovered that the development of sports tourism tends to be branded and IP-based. It includes not only professional competitive events but also athletes themselves and other sports and entertainment activities, such as the NBA, FIFA World Cup, and Australian Open. As well as internationally influential athletes, such as Lionel Messi and Lebron James, are all developing towards the direction of the sports tourism brand.
1.2 Statement of the Research Problems
From the perspective of the sports industry, sports tourism is in the derivative layer of the whole industrial chain and belongs to the derivative product of sports event IP. In the derivative layer of the whole sports industry chain, footwear and equipment manufacturing occupies an absolute dominant position. Sports tourism still has a small share, but the development potential is huge. Under the premise of the continuous optimization of the whole sports industry structure, the development of sports tourism also shoulders the important mission of sports industry upgrading.
Sports tourism seems to have stalled in recent years, in large part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still many issues that should be addressed by practitioners.
According to the theoretical creator of “The Great Reset” the author of the book Eponymous[2], the Tourism Great Reset is divided into macro, micro, and individual levels, and each of these three levels has a significant problem that, if properly addressed, the prospect of sports tourism will become even better.
At the macro level, the problems are environmental and climate risks. It has been clearly shown in Figure 1 that the tourism industry bears a certain responsibility for global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, many tourist attractions have environmental problems. Today, the mission of sports tourism managers is to integrate digital to sustainably develop, manage, and maintain sporting events. The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris have formally pledged to be “spectacular and sustainable,” becoming the “first major sporting event to have a positive impact on the climate,” prioritizing thrift and practicality. In its 2020 Olympic Agenda, the International Olympic Committee formally committed itself to increasingly taking climate and environmental considerations into account in the Olympic movement. Not only that, the overdevelopment of tourist attractions is also one of the huge problems. The uncontrolled development of some scenic spots has destroyed the ecological environment and made the scenic spots featureless. Therefore, only by creating special scenic spots jointly with sports brands can protect the environment and attract tourists at the same time. Figure 1 mentioned that creating high-quality projects can solve the problem of overdevelopment of scenic spots, and cooperating with well-known brands for development can help scenic spots better integrate tourism resources.
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Figure 1. Problems with tourism and how to solve them with sports brands.
The problem at the micro level is supply chain integration and lack of quality products (Figure 1). The tourism industry typically has millions of visitors per hour around the world. They are moving in all directions, for different purposes, by various means. It involves (directly and indirectly) many stakeholders and establishes a tourism ecosystem that includes social relations between government, business, and civil society[3]. For traditional tourism operators, how to obtain high-quality sports event resources has become a big challenge. Tickets to high-quality, popular events are a scarce resource. Part of the competition-related resources and value-added services of the event side are only given to service providers with a good reputation and a long history of cooperation. How to integrate destination high-quality sports resources?
Technological innovation is the best way. Whether it is the information-based connection of sports event resources or the information-based connection of cross-border and cross-platform resources, it needs strong technical support. In addition, Figure 1 also mentioned that sports tourism also faces great challenges in product supply. Travel to events such as the World Cup only took off this year. Before this, the demand for sports tourism was not strong, so the corresponding supply level lacks rich products and high-quality products. Especially in the last two years, because of COVID-19, many sports games were held in empty stadiums, meaning no spectators were allowed to watch the games. It can be said that the “quantity” and “quality” of products are seriously inadequate. To solve this problem, it needs government support. The government has strong organizational ability, which can help sports tourism to better develop the market.
Addressing current tourism, sport, and sport tourism issues[4-6], this thesis focuses on an intersection of sports brands and tourism to achieve mutual economic benefits and influence, a kind of constructive collaboration.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
The researchers conducted a literature review from the relevant theoretical literature, describing the relationship between sports branding and tourism, their respective definitions, and how they are mutually beneficial. To address these issues, this paper summarizes a theoretical framework.
2.1 Related Literature
2.1.1 Definition of Sport Tourism
Sports tourism is a tourism activity that allows spectators to participate in or watch sports. This concept can be understood here in both broad and narrow senses. In a broad sense, sports tourism is a collection of various entertainment, exercise, competition, and cultural exchange activities carried out by travelers using sports as a medium during the travel process. It is the relationship between tourist destinations, related sports tourism companies, and society[4]. In a narrow sense, sports tourism can be interpreted as using various sports activities to meet and adapt to the various needs of tourists in terms of sports and to give full play to the various functions of sports so that travelers can enjoy a healthy life both physically and mentally. It is an activity that is shocked and satisfied, improving the material and spiritual civilization level of the society, and enriches the diversity of social culture. Sports tourism is not as simple as people going to a place they have never been to do a particular sport. It is more like a combination of culture, politics, and economy[7]. As an emerging industry formed by the combination of tourism and sports, sports tourism is a new form of tourism that attracts people to participate in sports activities and experience natural scenery through travel based on the resources of sports events. Not only that, but it can also be understood as a special leisure lifestyle combining sports and tourism. Sports tourism is gradually becoming an important part of the sports industry. At the same time, sports tourism is usually regarded as a branch or subsidiary industry of tourism because the monetary benefits such as transportation, catering, and accommodation generated by sports tourism are statistically attributed to the income of the tourism industry. In fact, sports tourism is different from general tourism activities and is not a common branch of tourism. It has its own professionalism and particularity and is always involved, organized, and guided in sports. Nowadays, sports tourism is facing several complex problems[4,6]. Thus, managers are in active search of new innovative solutions.
2.1.2 Definition of Sport Brand
A sports brand is a brand that is associated with sports-related products or services. This could include anything from athletic apparel and footwear to sports equipment and accessories. Sports brands are often recognized for their high quality, innovative designs, and association with top athletes and sports teams.
Sports brands can take many forms, from large multinational corporations to small boutique shops. Some of the most well-known sports brands include Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Puma, and Reebok. These brands have established themselves as leaders in the sports industry by consistently producing high-quality products and creating effective marketing campaigns that appeal to athletes and sports enthusiasts around the world.
One of the defining characteristics of a sports brand is its association with top athletes and sports teams. Many sports brands sponsor athletes or teams, providing them with gear and equipment in exchange for promotion and exposure. This helps to build brand recognition and can create a sense of loyalty among fans and customers.
Another key aspect of a sports brand is innovation. To stay competitive in the industry, sports brands must continuously develop new products and technologies that meet the needs of athletes and sports enthusiasts. This could include anything from new fabrics and materials for athletic apparel to cutting-edge equipment and training tools.
Marketing is also a critical component of sports branding. Sports brands often use high-profile advertising campaigns and sponsorships to build awareness and establish themselves as leaders in the industry. Social media and other digital platforms are also commonly used by them, and they can easily connect with customers and promote products through these means.
As people pay more attention to environmental protection, sustainability has become a growing concern for sports brands. Many companies are now focused on reducing their environmental impact and promoting eco-friendly practices in their manufacturing and operations. This has become a key factor for consumers when choosing which sports brands to support.
Overall, a sports brand is defined by its association with sports-related products and services, its commitment to innovation and quality, and its marketing and branding strategies. Whether you are a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, Sports branding plays a key role in sports marketing, helping people achieve their goals and perform at their best.
2.2 Intersection of Tourism and Sport Brands
One of the most common examples of this intersection is the use of sports sponsorship to promote tourist destinations. The essence of the relationship is that the host city's tourism and hospitality industry provides excellent service to the sponsor, who finances the event, and to the guests invited by the sponsor[8]. Tourism boards and travel companies often partner with sports brands to sponsor major sporting events or teams, using this exposure to promote destinations and attract tourists. The Qatar World Cup is a perfect example of the combination of tourism and sports brands. Many of the world's top sports brands participate in the Qatar World Cup through official sponsorships or partnerships with teams and players. Nike, for example, is the official supplier of Qatar's national team jerseys, while Adidas is the official supplier of match balls. These partnerships help build brand recognition and create new opportunities for sales and revenue. In addition, The World Cup is one of the most famous sporting events in the world, watched online by millions of fans all over the world at the same time. In addition to the competition itself, the event will also host a series of other activities, such as concerts, festivals, and cultural exhibitions. These events help to create a festive and exciting atmosphere in Qatar that attracts visitors from everywhere, these tourists can all generate revenue for sports brands by spending money, so it is a win-win strategy.
In addition to promoting tourist destinations, sports brands can also benefit from partnerships with travel companies. For example, a sports brand might partner with a hotel chain to make its products or equipment available to guests. This helps build brand recognition and creates new opportunities for sales and revenue.
Overall, the intersection of travel and sports brands offers a wide range of opportunities for both industries. By working together, travel companies and sports brands can create unique and exciting experiences for consumers, build brand recognition, and promote their products and destinations to a wider audience.
2.3 Theoretical Framework
Sports brands enhance the attractiveness of tourism destinations, and tourism supports the growth and development of sports brands.
Gammon and Robinson[9] believe that sports tourism, as a tourism concept, has made great progress and significant development in the past few decades, and more and more people take sports factors into consideration when choosing their travel destinations. In the first place, these travelers believe that watching and participating in sports games has become an integral part of enhancing the well-being of the travel experience. They also believe that sports tourism combines the elements of sports and tourism, which include the viewing experience elements of sports and the participation experience elements of tourism. This form of tourism has had an important impact on the economic, social, and cultural development of tourist destinations.
There are many reasons why people choose to participate in sports tourism activities, such as interest in sports, pursuit of adventure and excitement, and desire for leisure and entertainment. In addition, sports events and activities can also drive the development of tourism and increase local tourist flow and tourism income. At the same time, sports tourism can also help tourist destinations enhance their image[10].
Weed[11] believes that although sports tourism has made a lot of progress, there are still some key issues that need further research and exploration. These issues include the impact of sports tourism on the environment, the sustainability of sports tourism, the way sports tourism is marketed and promoted, and the quality of sports tourism products. It is indeed worth revisiting the new topic of sports tourism.
3 METHODOLOGY
This paper adopts an event analysis method for research, chooses the Qatar World Cup as the research object, and regards it as an important sports tourism event and sports brand marketing event. Collecting event data and information related to the World Cup in Qatar, including match schedule, event promotion, sports tourism reception, etc., linking different information about the World Cup through an organizational thought approach of theoretical synthesis[12], provides a new or improved understanding of the concepts of sports branding and tourism. Then, analyze the collected event data, explore the Qatar World Cup as an example of the combination of sports tourism and sports brands, and analyze the motivation, development process, and consequences behind it. Theoretical synthesis work is an academic endeavor that integrates several different theoretical or literary concepts. This work advances the field by consolidating and collating existing knowledge of phenomena by translating previous discoveries and theories into a new intellectual framework that connects previously disparate phenomena so that they can be understood in a new way.
Based on event analysis, discuss the significance and influence of the combination of Qatar World Cup sports tourism and sports brand, and explore the effect of this combination in promoting Qatar as a sports tourism destination and brand communication. This approach has many advantages and can help to gain a deep understanding of the performance and impact of the combination of sports tourism and sports branding in the Qatar World Cup, deepen the understanding of the phenomenon or theory under study, and make a meaningful contribution to the research field.
Literature review and analysis are the main and necessary tools of this paper, but not the goal. The role of the literature review is to identify the components and framework of the concept, sometimes to exclude or reduce irrelevant elements. Integration requires the researcher to interpret different perspectives, then find common ground among these differences and build a new concept on this basis. The content described in this article is based on this framework, integrating many theories and phenomena into a new theory[12].
By integrating multiple theories and streams of literature exploring these two concepts, it is possible to apply the integrated content to the topic of the mutually beneficial intersection of travel and sports branding. By combining previous content in unique ways, this synthesis can provide a new or improved perspective on the intersection of travel and sports brands.
To achieve this, the synthesis could begin by reviewing literature that explores the concepts of tourism and sports branding separately. This review could identify the key theories and models that are relevant to each concept and how they have been applied in previous studies. The next step would be to identify the commonalities between the two concepts, such as the role of branding in attracting tourists to sporting events or the impact of sporting events on local tourism.
From this common ground, the synthesis could then explore the potential synergies between tourism and sports branding. This could involve identifying the benefits that each concept can offer the other, such as how sports branding can enhance the attractiveness of tourism destinations or how tourism can support the growth and development of sports brands. The synthesis could also explore the potential challenges and limitations of this intersection, such as the impact of mass tourism on local communities or the potential for sports branding to overshadow other aspects of a destination's identity.
Throughout the synthesis, it would be essential to explicate and unravel the conceptual underpinnings and building blocks of both tourism and sports branding. This would involve identifying the key theoretical frameworks that underpin each concept, such as the destination image model in tourism or the brand equity model in branding. By doing so, the synthesis could develop a new and enhanced conceptualization of the intersection of tourism and sports branding that links phenomena previously considered distinct.
Baloglu and McCleary[13] believe that the destination image model can help tourism practitioners understand and shape the image of a tourist destination. First, in the image generation stage, tourism practitioners can promote their own tourism services by cooperating with officials to release tourism advertisements and cooperating with travel agencies to release travel promotional materials. Also, travel sharing on social media cannot be ignored. Through comprehensive and detailed sharing, travelers and consumers can choose travel items that suit them according to their own financial capabilities and interests.
In the stage of image evaluation, tourists will analyze and consider the information released by tourism practitioners after receiving the information to form a preliminary impression of a tourist destination. This impression is based on the method mentioned above. Cognitive understanding and sensual responses to destinations. For example, before the World Cup in Qatar, many travelers who had never been to Qatar and the Middle East thought that it was just a desert and it was not worth arranging a separate itinerary for them. However, after receiving the official FIFA and Qatar travel guide, many people changed their attitudes and initial impressions of Qatar because the IP with the most traffic in the world, the World Cup, has helped Qatar attract the attention of the world. According to the latest statistics released by the Qatar Planning and Statistics Authority, in June 2022, the number of tourists in Qatar exceeded 145,600 compared with the same period last year, a year-on-year increase of 499.5%. Qatar will host tourists from all over the world thanks to the World Cup. For the local tourism industry in Qatar, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so the local government and enterprises must seize this opportunity, and they hope to use this as an opportunity to make Qatar a representative country of tourism in the Middle East and the unique tourism in the world one of the destinations.
The last stage is the image change stage. After the travelers arrive at the destination, their actual experience will also affect their impression of the destination. If the actual experience exceeds the traveler's expectations, then they will have a more positive impression of the destination. But if the actual experience falls short of the traveler's expectations, then they will have a more negative impression of the destination. At this stage, the actual experience of travelers will also be disseminated through social media, thereby influencing more travelers' perceptions of the destination.
The enlightenment brought to tourism practitioners is that tourism practitioners can improve their service quality in many ways to attract more tourists. The first is service quality. Friendly reception, efficient service, and high-quality facilities can make tourists feel satisfied and form a positive impression of a tourist destination. This is why many famous tourist attractions cooperate with high-end hotel brands to build high-end hotels inside the scenic spots because they can attract tourists through excellent service quality.
This is followed by tourist attractions and activities, which are crucial to the traveler's experience. If the tourist attractions are diverse and interesting, travelers will feel excited and satisfied and have a better impression of the destination.
The third point is culture and tradition. Experiencing the unique culture of each region is a valuable experience for travelers. By participating in local festivals, cultural activities, traditional handicrafts, etc., travelers can gain a deeper understanding of the uniqueness of the destination and enhance their goodwill and sense of identity with the destination. The mysterious Arabic culture has fascinated travelers all over the world, and Qatar, as a representative country of Arab culture, has naturally become the first-choice destination for travelers.
The fourth point is catering and food: the experience of travelers tasting local specialties in the destination will also have an important impact on their impressions. Delicious food and unique dining experiences can leave a deep memory for travelers and increase the praise of the destination. Still taking Qatar as an example, the food in the Middle East is very different from that in Europe, which also makes many European tourists fascinated by Qatar.
The fifth point is the natural environment and landscape. The natural environment and landscape of the destination have a strong impact on travelers. Magnificent natural scenery, fresh air, beautiful beaches, mountains, etc., can bring relaxation and pleasure to travelers and will also leave a good impression in their hearts. Qatar is rich in natural scenery, and the unique desert natural landscape will also have a great visual impact on European tourists.
The sixth point is the sense of safety and comfort. The sense of safety and comfort of travelers at the destination directly affects their impression of the destination. If travelers feel safe, comfortable, and well-attended, they will form a positive impression of the destination and be willing to return. Qatar's world-class public infrastructure and public safety ensure the well-being of its citizens, residents, and visitors. In 2021 and 2022, Qatar was ranked first in the “World's Safest Country” by the Numero Crime Index for two consecutive years. Doha, the capital of Qatar, also won the second safest city in the world in 2022. Visitors can gain a strong sense of security when experiencing Qatar's tourist attractions and monuments.
On the issue of the brand equity model, Burmann et al.[14] believes that the traditional brand equity model pays too much attention to external elements, ignoring the core element of the brand - brand identity. Therefore, he proposes an integrative model that combines brand equity with brand identity. The model divides brand equity into three dimensions: cognitive equity, emotional equity, and cultural equity. Kuhn et al.[15] believes that in the B2B environment, Keller's brand equity model is still applicable, but it needs to be adjusted and customized to a certain extent for specific market characteristics. Examples include the involvement of multiple decision-makers, complex buying processes, and the maintenance of long-term relationships.
To this end, applying theory synthesis to the topic of the intersection of mutual benefits of tourism and sports branding involves integrating multiple theories and literature streams to provide a new or improved understanding of this concept. This requires identifying commonalities and potential synergies between tourism and sports branding, exploring potential challenges and limitations, and explicating the conceptual underpinnings and building blocks of both concepts.
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
According to the content of Figure 1, there are environmental problems and over-exploitation problems in tourism at a macro level. How can we improve this problem through the combination of sports brands and tourism? The FIFA Qatar World Cup is a notable example of how the intersection of tourism and sports branding can yield mutual benefits. The World Cup is undoubtedly one of the most influential sporting events, attracting millions of fans from all over the world who are potential customers for Qatar's tourism industry. As such, it plays an important role in Qatar's efforts to promote tourism and enhance its global image. Supporting the World Cup and the tourism industry plays an important role in promoting the success of the event, so the Qatari government's support for the tourism industry is very firm[16].
One way in which the World Cup benefits Qatar's tourism industry is by driving an influx of visitors to the country. According to estimates, the campaign is estimated to attract approximately 1.5 million tourists to Qatar, providing a significant footfall for the country's tourism industry. This influx of visitors is expected to generate significant revenue for the country's hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses.
The match with the highest attendance of this World Cup was held at the Lusail Stadium on November 24. Brazil defeated Serbia 2-0, and the number of spectators reached 88,103. The average attendance rate of the overall game is as high as 94%. From Figure 2, we can see how much fans all over the world love the World Cup. Figure 3 showed that in the 2019-2022 World Cup cycle year, FIFA’s total revenue is $7.568 billion, which is an increase of 18% ($1.147 billion) compared with $6.421 billion in 2015-2018 and 18% ($1.128 billion) higher than the full-cycle revenue budget. These data strongly confirmed that the economic benefits of the World Cup in Qatar are considerable.
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Figure 2. Attendance of Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Graph. Source: https://www.kaggle.com/code/parasharmanas/attendance-of-qatar-2022-fifa-world-cup-graph
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Figure 3. 2019-2022 revenue by category (in TUSD). Source: https://publications.fifa.com/en/annual-report-2022/finances/2019-2022-cycle-in-review/2019-2022-revenue/
In addition to the economic benefits, the World Cup is also an opportunity for Qatar to enhance its global image through sports branding. The event provides a platform for Qatar to showcase its culture, traditions, and hospitality to a global audience. By hosting the World Cup, Qatar is positioning itself as a major player in the global sports industry and highlighting its potential as a tourism destination.
Figure 4 showed the number and growth rate of Qatar's foreign direct investment projects on the eve of the World Cup. It can be seen that the world's support for Qatar's investment development continues to increase. The country has embarked on a major construction and renovation program with new hotels, stadiums, and other tourism-related facilities. These investments will not only provide strong support for the successful hosting of the World Cup but also leave a permanent legacy for Qatar's tourism industry.
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Figure 4. FDI into Qatar rocketed in the lead-up to the World Cup. Source: https://www.investmentmonitor.ai/features/what-legacy-has-the-world-cup-left-on-qatar-fdi-journey/
On the other hand, the World Cup has also presented some challenges for Qatar, especially the impact on the local environment. To address these concerns, Qatar has implemented various sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of the event and ensuring that local community’s benefit from tourism.
The first is to formulate a comprehensive plan to promote sustainable development. Any tourist attraction should establish a comprehensive tourism plan to ensure the balance between the development and protection of tourist attractions. It can be seen from Figure 5 that Qatar has major challenges in terms of environmental sustainability, protection of water resources, soil quality, and biodiversity. As we all know, Qatar is not only the host country of the World Cup but also a major producer and participant in the oil and gas industry in the world. How to strike a balance between hosting sports events and supporting economic industries is the biggest problem facing the Qatari government (Supplementary 1).
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Figure 5. SDG Dashboards and Trends. Source: https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/profiles/qatar
Richer[17] believed that although Qatar faces some difficulties, there are also opportunities to implement sustainable development strategies. The Qatari government has taken several steps, including the promotion of renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and education and awareness campaigns. The Qatari government has set goals to reduce carbon emissions and promote the country's sustainable development. An important action taken by Qatar is to study and promulgate the “National Vision 2030”, hoping to transform Qatar from an energy-extracting country into a green economy supported by sustainable development. The Qatar government has also made efforts to invest in renewable energy projects. Their goal is to reach 20% of the country's total energy from renewable energy by 2030. Overall, Qatar is making efforts to become a sustainable country and is committed to reducing carbon emissions, which means a lot to the world.
Taking this World Cup as an example, Qatar's sustainable development content will be developed based on five major projects: labor, society, economy, environment, and governance. These five projects are in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
First, it is human rights issues. The issue of labor welfare and treatment during the construction of the World Cup stadium has always affected the hearts of many people. Construction workers work in such a hot area in the Middle East. The physical and mental health issues deserve the attention of the organizing committee. Qatari law currently prohibits working in open workplaces between 10 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. from June 1 to September 15 every year to avoid exposing workers to extreme heat and humidity. To prevent unscrupulous companies from defaulting on wages to workers and to ensure that workers receive due compensation in accordance with employment agreements, the Wage Protection System has been implemented in Qatar since 2015. This law requires companies to transfer all due wages of employees electronically into a recognized employee account at a financial institution in that country. In 2018, the Qatar Workers Insurance Foundation was established, which guarantees that workers still get their wages if employers fail to pay them on time.
In terms of social development, the Qatar World Cup provides a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities and people with reduced mobility to enhance their viewing experience. The eight main stadiums of theWorld Cup would conduct regular inspections and audits to assess whether the stadium infrastructure complies with a series of barrier-free environments such as accessibility infrastructure, including pathways, seating, restrooms, parking areas, dedicated priority lanes, etc. During games, wheelchairs and golf carts are provided through the Mobility Assistance Services program. Each game will have fifteen volunteers serving people with disabilities. In addition, more than 3,500 security personnel have been trained in disability knowledge to help them recognize and assist disabled and reduced mobility spectators at games. At the same time, the World Cup is an important window for Qatar to showcase Arab culture to the world and a huge platform for local people to communicate with people from all over the world, which can enhance cultural understanding and showcase the characteristics of the region.
In terms of economy, Qatar actively encourages local enterprises to combine the World Cup value chain and innovation opportunities to create greater value. The successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup boosted Qatar's economy to grow 8 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of last year, the global market intelligence firm said in its latest report.
In terms of environmental protection, the most famous 974 football stadium in the World Cup is an example. It is assembled from 974 containers as the main structure. The design and construction of the 974 stadium adhere to the concept of a low-carbon cycle. A designer from Spain provided excellent ideas for the construction of this stadium. On the site, people can find that the entire stadium is composed of standardized containers of various colors. This allows the entire stadium to be quickly disassembled and assembled to achieve the purpose of recycling the field and redundant construction materials after the game. The cooperation between the modular steel structure and the container is very ingenious, each container is combined in series by the steel structure, and a majestic stadium rises from the ground. The 974 stadium here has two meanings. First, the stadium is spliced by containers, and a total of 974 containers are used to build the stadium. Second, 974 is also the area code of Qatar in international long-distance communication. The designer used this number to echo it. The colorful containers were transformed into auditoriums, toilets, shops, etc., and then inserted into the main steel structure of the stadium like building blocks. The stadium can accommodate 40,000 spectators. Although the capacity is not large, the seat arrangement with a slightly higher angle can give the audience an excellent viewing experience. The top design in the stadium is derived from the knitting art in Middle Eastern culture, and the sense of design coexists with traditional culture. The stadium will also be completely disassembled after the World Cup to be recycled to achieve the purpose of green environmental protection and secondary utilization. In other words, this stadium constructed of containers will cease to exist after 7 World Cup games. The 974 stadium will also become the stadium with the shortest “life span” in the history of the World Cup.
In terms of governance, Qatar ensures a high degree of transparency and accountability, adopting leading sustainable procurement methods to protect the rights of local residents, improve their well-being, reduce environmental impact, and promote economic development.
At the micro level, the main problems in the tourism industry are the lack of high-quality products and supply chain integration. To solve this problem, technological innovation and government support are needed. Although Qatar is a small country, scientific and technological innovation can be seen everywhere during the World Cup. In every facility built for the World Cup, people can learn about the commercial heritage planning of the Qatari government for this super event.
Kaplanidou et al.[18] believes that commercial legacy can maximize the recovery of economic losses for the organizers after the game and promote sustainable economic development. In terms of technological innovation, the air-conditioned stadium is the best example. The Khalifa Stadium has become the world's first and largest open-air air-conditioned stadium. Inside, the air-conditioning system can reduce the temperature to a maximum of 20 degrees lower than outside. Even in the furthest stands, it can be 15 degrees cooler than outside. Moreover, this air-conditioning system can adjust the temperature according to the number of spectators in the stadium.
One kilometer away from the stadium, there is an energy control center, from which cold water is sent to the stadium through pipes, and there are energy processing sub-sites around it, and through five hundred nozzle vents, cold air is sent to the stadium. In addition to air conditioning, great attention has also been paid to the construction design of the stadium, which has been carefully arranged on its east-west axis to create maximum shade on the pitch and stands as the sun moves over Qatar. In addition to the Khalifa Stadium, the facade of the Gulf Stadium takes the shape of a Bedouin tent, originally designed in black, which, while stunning, is highly heat-absorbing. In the end, the stadium adopted a white color scheme, which reduced the temperature of the stadium by about 5 degrees Celsius. The surfaces and shapes of its facades are designed to reflect heat and deflect warming winds. Sofotasiou et al.[19] noted that Qatar invested a decade of fluid dynamics research examining airflow in stadiums and creating sensor systems that created an incredibly detailed and accurate picture of air movement and temperature changes. Based on this work, the angle and velocity of the airflow have been calibrated with great precision to maximize cooling and minimize audience discomfort. Seats and other fixtures are designed with materials that absorb and store as little heat as possible, making the task of keeping cool easier.
In terms of supply chain integration, the Qatari government strongly supports the construction of tourism infrastructure. Qatar built seven brand-new football stadiums for the World Cup, and one is being refurbished. Not only that, Qatar has also established a complete transportation network system, which is based on expressways and subways combined with light rail, to maximize the convenience of people's travel. In order to meet the huge passenger flow, the international airport in the capital Doha has also been expanded. According to media estimates, the Qatari government spent about $300 billion on infrastructure for the World Cup. Berthold Trenkel, Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism Board, said: “At present, all the World Cup stadiums have been opened and hosted the games. In terms of public infrastructure, the subway system has been put into operation in 2019. Qatar has also built about 180 hotels, and more than 50 hotels will be completed in the near future and will open during the World Cup.” The shortest distance between the eight stadiums in the Qatar World Cup is five kilometers, and the longest distance is seventy-five kilometers. Under normal circumstances, it only takes a maximum of an hour to commute between the two furthest courses. This would allow fans to fulfill their desire to watch multiple matches on the same matchday, something unthinkable at any previous World Cup. These initiatives have increased the supply capacity of the tourism industry and improved tourist reception capacity.
The case of the World Cup in Qatar has strong reference significance for sports tourism and sports marketing. People can learn some valuable lessons and strategies from the holding of the World Cup. The first is the importance of national image. Hosting a world-class sports event can bring huge international attention and media exposure, but at the same time, voices of doubt and slander are everywhere. Therefore, the management of national image and reputation has become crucial. The scandal of employing laborers in Qatar to work in high temperatures once cast a shadow over the reputation of this beautiful country. In hosting such a large-scale international event, any policy mistakes and human rights violations will be captured by the media and infinitely magnified. This puts strict requirements on the working capabilities of event organizers and government agencies.
The second point is sustainability. The holding of large-scale sports events such as the World Cup is often accompanied by large-scale infrastructure construction and resource consumption. The host country should advocate the concept of sustainable development, ensure that the holding of the event will not cause an excessive burden on the environment, and seek to make rational use of these facilities after the game to avoid the situation of abandoned venues and waste of resources. Qatar’s national vision for sustainable development and the venues built with recyclable materials have demonstrated Qatar’s commitment to sustainable development.
The third is to establish a mature sports brand. Hosting world-class sports events can help a country or city establish a positive sports brand image. By planning and successfully hosting such events, sports can be linked with target regions, forming lasting support for the sports industry and attracting more investment and development opportunities. According to Figure 4, it can be seen that after Qatar established the World Cup sports brand, the number of investment projects in the world increased rapidly. This experience has good reference significance for other countries hosting large-scale sports events in the future.
5 CONCLUSION
With the end of the epidemic, it is foreseeable that the economy will continue to develop rapidly, and the global influence of sports will increase. The combination of tourism and sports will surely become an exciting project in the future. It can be seen from the reaction of the whole world after the end of the World Cup that this World Cup has achieved success in the combination of sports and tourism. At the press conference, FIFA President Infantino praised the 2022 Qatar World Cup as “the best World Cup ever” and he also talked about the “true globalization of football” in his speech. All these show that the combination of sports and tourism has great development prospects in the future. This article takes the successful World Cup as an example to illustrate that sports tourism is an important platform for sports brand promotion. By hosting the World Cup, Qatar can showcase its unique culture, beauty, and hospitality to the world, attracting more tourists to experience sports tourism. At the same time, sports brands are also the carriers of sports tourism, and the two promote each other and benefit each other.
However, there are still some limitations in the combination of sports tourism and sports brands. The influence of seasonal factors accounts for a large part. Qatar chose to host the World Cup in winter because in the Middle East, the temperature in winter is lower, but many tourists are used to tourism activities in summer, which may lead to fewer tourists and limit the potential growth of local tourism. The second is cultural differences. Qatar is an Islamic country with a unique culture and social habits. Visitors may need to adjust to local cultural norms and customs, which can be a challenge for some visitors. This may limit the interest of some people, especially those tourists who are not very familiar with or accustomed to Islamic culture. For the limitations of the combination of sports tourism and sports brands, it is necessary to continuously find solutions, but in general, sports tourism and sports brands are maintaining a good development process of mutual benefit, which is of great significance to the entire sports tourism and sports brand industries.
Acknowledgements
I am very grateful to the Rennes School of Business for providing the necessary research facilities and resources, which contributed significantly to the success of this article. I want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout this journey. Their love and understanding keep me motivated during difficult times.
Conflicts of Interest
The author declared no conflict of interest.
Author Contribution
Cao T conceived and designed the study, including research objectives and methods. He is solely responsible for drafting and revising the manuscript. Cao T was involved in every aspect of this study, from the initial literature review to the final submission. He critically evaluates relevant literature, formulates research questions, and develops theoretical frameworks. During the data collection phase, he ensures the reliability of the data.
During the writing process, Cao T drafted the entire manuscript to ensure a clear and coherent expression of ideas. He revised and perfected the thesis several times, incorporating feedback from his supervisor to improve the overall quality. Finally, Cao T prepared the final version of the paper to ensure compliance with the journal's guidelines and formatting requirements.
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