Panagiota Tsekeri, Panagiotis Alexopoulos Int. Jou Eco. Res, 2019, V10 i5, 68 – 81 ISSN:2229-6158 SPORT TOURISM IN GREECE. THE CASE OF DEVELOPMENT IN FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT IN DELPHI Panagiota Tsekeri (BSc, MSc, PhD student) Panagiotis Alexopoulos Associate Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Human Movement and Quality of Life Sciences in University of Peloponnese Abstract Sports Tourism as it is known consists of many different types and concepts. Its basic distinction is between mass tourism and alternative tourism. In alternative tourism, there are several categories, one of which is sports tourism, the kind of activity where tourists are motivated by sports or sports events visiting the various areas. In this work, sports tourism in the Peloponnese region shall be examined and, in particular, how much the Football Tournament will help in the development of this type of tourism. Also, how much Greece will be develop and which categories could be promoted. This study is trying to address two purposes: first, to evaluate the motivating experience factors that leads travellers from different sports origins to different preferences when selecting their travel destination, and second, to assess the respective relevance of the identified factors in the development destination’s in Greece. The central stage of the investigation consisted in carrying out the interviews by discussing directly with the interviewees, addressing the programmed questions and recording their answers. This represented the main stage of data collection and took place in Greece, in region of Delphi, from July 1 to July 15, 2019. The setting of the research was the Football Tournament in Delphi, a location that coincides with the subject of the present article. Ten participants have been asked to answer the questions of the interview. They were selected among human resources department managers of the sports industry, local people and people involved in sport tourism industry in Greece. Further analyses were performed to identify the predominant/primary reasons for differentiation in the selection of destination. The findings show educational differences in the memorable experiences and the respective criteria that athletes use while selecting/reselecting a traveling destination. Finally, the study draws conclusions, provides some managerial implications, and suggestions for future work. Key words: Sport Tourism, Football Tournament, motivating factors, development, Greece Introduction environment should be tackled by business planning, effective management and Tourism is a complex activity connected to integrated marketing proposals that can many areas of the economy. It requires the lead to increased productivity, increased contribution of economic, social, cultural revenue, and a better relationship with the and environmental data and is therefore society in which it exists and operates, but described as a highly versatile sector. also from which it is maintained. Now, the According to Igoumenakis (2007), the financial status of each league plays a tourist market is “the place where tourist major role, as the ever-increasing business develops its activity in order to commercialization of professional football profitably sell its products”. increases business risk. Greece has one of Europe's poorest and most troubled The new business conditions that emerge football and is a small market. For these make it imperative to redefine each reasons, it must make special efforts to company's role and goals. Football teams adapt it to European standards as much as now function as businesses and therefore possible (Alexopoulos, 2010). have to adapt to the ever-changing business environment. This competitive IJER – September – October 2019 68 available online @ www.ijeronline.com Panagiota Tsekeri, Panagiotis Alexopoulos Int. Jou Eco. Res, 2019, V10 i5, 68 – 81 ISSN:2229-6158 Considering this definition of the concept and training to able to offer services with of ‘tourist market’, four components can high quality. be identified (Igoumenakis N. et al, 1998) In the other hand, the importance of the i. Sellers and purchasers of tourist internet broadcasting rights as a part of the products. European professional football leagues ii. Touristic products traded. overall media rights deals the last 10 years iii. The place of tourist products. has been boosted. Several global titans in iv. The rules governing transactions the area of digital media, social media, between sellers and purchasers of tourist internet providers and tech giants like products. Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Alibaba and others, has been increasingly One should note that the components of showing interest, and some of them the tourist market contribute to the size of bidding and acquiring sporting events the tourism market (Igoumenakis, 2007). streaming rights (Alexopoulos et al, 2014). The sport industry in Greece made this According to Alexopoulos (2014), the change with the small steps, the most scope is to enhance the transparency of important reason is the poor economy and Greek Football, develop the sport also the zero opportunity for the according to international standards, to investment by abroad. improve the facilities and enhance revenue distribution. The facilities and the quality Many European countries created a of the services could be developing the competition wise balanced championship economy in Greece. The target sales of the that attracts the interest of major media football tournament in Delphi could be groups, sponsors and investors. Key role in increase the revenue of the area and in this transition phase from a rather lower generally, in Greece level championship to one of the world’s wealthiest football leagues, played the Professional soccer in Greece is designing and application of a modern and administered and sorted out the standards efficient tv rights collective selling authorized by the Ministry of Sport and mechanism, combined with a tv rights Culture. The administrative body for the income distribution system that enhances supervision and recognition for the smooth the competition balance of the running of the Super League is the championship and thus the fans interest, Hellenic Football Federation which always something resulting in high tv rights try to provide the services for the teams auctions bids by media giants (Alexopoulos, 2014). (Alexopoulos et al, 2018). According to Alexopoulos (2014), during In the other hand the Italian football the period 2009-2012 the Greek football organizational models changed a lot in the clubs seemed to have back misfortunes, 90s and 00s, causing the observers to were not able use their advantages for introduce the phrase “from game to make deal incomes and were exceptionally business” (Lago et al, 2006). Is important utilized with expanded likelihood of in Greece to begin a business opportunity default. In the past ten years the Greek in football industry. The Football Football Clubs they were not able to Tournament could be a huge opportunity develop the facilities and also, the to develop a revenue for the economy such services. This is shows that the human as other countries. resources should be educating IJER – September – October 2019 69 available online @ www.ijeronline.com Panagiota Tsekeri, Panagiotis Alexopoulos Int. Jou Eco. Res, 2019, V10 i5, 68 – 81 ISSN:2229-6158 Football in Italy is a social phenomenon. industry. General dictionaries define Characteristically, in 1998, football methodology as “a body of methods, rules, broadcasting represented 61% of the total and postulates employed by a discipline, a sports broadcasting and 1.967 tv hours particular procedure or set of procedures, were dedicated to football (Deloitte & or the analysis of the principles or Touche (Italy) and Lega Calcio, 1997/98, procedures of inquiry in a particular field” 1999). Based on research, the average (McKercher, 2003). In this chapter, the Italian fan spent double money than the word ‘methodology’ is used in its meaning average fan in England, France, Germany of systematic description, analysis and and Spain to watch on tv them favorite assessment of the particular methods used clubs’ games (Αlexopoulos & Kriemadis, while carrying out the present research 2009). project. For the present research project and its particular purpose, the most The Serie A adventures over the years and suitable research its eventual establishment as one of the approach is the qualitative one, with some world’s wealthiest professional football additional features that belong rather to the leagues, only after the designing and mixed type. This choice has been made by application of a tv rights collective selling considering the central factors that mechanism, accompanied by a tv rights influence such a decision, which are: the income distribution scheme, more research problem itself, the personal enhancing of the championship training and former competition balance, could be a paradigm experiences of the researcher and the to be followed by the Greek Super League. audience(s) for whom the report must be It is also a written (Creswell, 2009: 21). challenge for both the Italian Serie A and the Greek Super League to develop their Accordingly, the main research method sporting product, by reinvesting the so that has been applied in order to collect precious to them tv rights income, in data was the semi-structured interview renovating their clubs stadiums or even based on opened questions, for reasons building new ones, hiring experienced that shall be