The travelling fan: Understanding the mechanisms of sport fan consumption in a sport tourism setting

The relationship that sport fans and consumers construct with sport teams and leagues is central to their decisions to engage in sport-related experiences, and travel long distances to do so. A number of factors have been identified as pivotal to this relationship, including (a) the underlying drives of fans; (b) factors that mediate fan motivation; (c) factors that impact upon fan identification and team attachment; and (d) contextual influences that are linked to the team, game or league fixture. These factors have been independently demonstrated to contribute to sport consumption but are less often considered as variables influencing the behaviour of sport tourists. This paper explores the different relationships that fans construct with their favourite sports, teams, and events and examines the impact of moderating factors and contextual influences on the fan–sport relationship. It aims to categorise the mechanisms affecting sport consumption in order to better understand the central factors driving sport tourism, particularly as it relates to travelling to attend sport events.