The Evolution and Trends in Sport Tourism Research: A Bibliometric and Citation Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Sport Tourism and Health, Faculty of Tourism, University of Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The research utilizes bibliometric analysis and negative binomial regression to conduct a retrospective evaluation of the Journal of Sport & Tourism (JS&T), widely recognized as the oldest and most prominent publication in the industry. The objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the development and patterns seen in sports tourism area. We analyzed 243 articles published in Journal of Sport & Tourism from 2006 to 2022 (Volume 26, Issue 2). The first bibliometric analysis of Journal of Sport & Tourism reveals that the journal has significantly contributed to the sport tourism area for academics and professionals. For example, the percentage of female co-authors is, on average, 35.8%. However, a significant portion (42.38%) of all publications have been authored solely by men, with no female co-authors. These findings suggest an opportunity to enhance gender diversity in the journal's publications and research. In addition, the negative binomial regression results show that the article age variable positively correlates with citation, while the demeaned age squared variable displays a negative association. Also, we found a significant association between gender and citations per year but no significant relationship between gender and total citations. The detailed interpretation of these findings contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate dynamics surrounding gender-related factors in scholarly impact, emphasising the importance of considering annualised and cumulative citation metrics for a comprehensive evaluation. As a results, the study provides a lens for academics and practitioners to follow to understand the evolution of sport tourism.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007
Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2020). Science mapping analysis with bibliometrix R-package: An example. https://bibliometrix.org/documents/bibliometrix_Report.html
Aghaei, N., & Moradi, E. (2016). The effect of the perception of leadership style in sport, practices of applying power by coaches and sport commitment on the satisfaction of athletes (Individual and team disciplines). Organizational Behavior Management in Sport Studies, 3(10), 77-90. https://doi.org/20.1001.1.25384023.1395.3.2.7.8
Baker, H. K., Kumar, S., & Pandey, N. (2021). Five decades of the Journal of Consumer Affairs : A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 55(1), 293–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12347
Ballew, B. S. (2009). Elsevier’s Scopus® database. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 6(3), 245–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/15424060903167252
Benckendorff, P., & Zehrer, A. (2013). A network analysis of tourism research. Annals of Tourism Research, 43, 121–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2013.04.005
Chalip, L. (2006). Towards Social Leverage of Sport Events. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 11(2), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080601155126
Chalip, L., & Costa, C. A. (2005). Sport event tourism and the destination brand: Towards a general theory. Sport in Society, 8(2), 218–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430430500108579
Chalip, L., Green, B. C., & Hill, B. (2003). Effects of Sport Event Media on Destination Image and Intention to Visit. Journal of Sport Management, 17(3), 214–234. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.17.3.214
Chalip, L., & McGuirty, J. (2004). Bundling sport events with the host destination. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 9(3), 267–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/1477508042000320241
Chung, H. K. (2007). Evaluating Academic Journals using Impact Factor and Local Citation Score. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33(3), 393–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2007.01.016
Ciomaga, B. (2013). Sport management: A bibliometric study on central themes and trends. European Sport Management Quarterly, 13(5), 557–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2013.838283
Cross, R., Borgatti, S. P., & Parker, A. (2002). Making invisible work visible: Using social network analysis to support strategic collaboration. California Management Review, 44(2), 25–46. https://doi.org/10.2307/41166121
Dant, R. P., & Lapuka, I. I. (2008). The Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing comes of age: Some postscripts. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 15(2), 192–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/15470620802020259
Danvila-del-Valle, I., Estévez-Mendoza, C., & Lara, F. J. (2019). Human resources training: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Business Research, 101, 627–636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.02.026
Dervis, H. (2019). Bibliometric analysis using bibliometrix an R package. Journal of Scientometric Research, 8(3), 156–160. https://doi.org/10.5530/JSCIRES.8.3.32
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021a). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Pandey, N., & Gupta, P. (2021b). Forty years of the International Journal of Information Management: A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Information Management, 57, 102307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102307
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Ranaweera, C., Sigala, M., & Sureka, R. (2021c). Journal of Service Theory and Practice at age 30: past, present and future contributions to service research. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 31(3), 265–295. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-10-2020-0233
Elahi, A., Moradi, E., & Saffari, M. (2020). Antecedents and consequences of tourists’ satisfaction in sport event: Mediating role of destination image. Journal of Convention and Event Tourism, 21(2), 123–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/15470148.2020.1731726
Farooq, R. (2023). Mapping the field of knowledge management: a bibliometric analysis using R. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 53(6), 1178–1206. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-06-2021-0089
Gammon, S., Ramshaw, G., & Wright, R. (2017). Theory in sport tourism: some critical reflections. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 21(2), 69–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2017.1319515
Gammon, S., & Robinson, T. (2003). Sport and tourism: A conceptual framework. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 8(1), 21–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080306236
Gao, W., Yang, L., & Shi, B. (2021). Mapping themes trends and knowledge structure of trophoblastic invasion, a bibliometric analysis from 2012–2021. Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 146, 103347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jri.2021.103347
Getz, D. (2008). Event tourism: Definition, evolution, and research. Tourism Management, 29(3), 403–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.07.017
Getz, D., & McConnell, A. (2011). Serious Sport Tourism and Event Travel Careers. Journal of Sport Management, 25(4), 326–338. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.25.4.326
Gholipour, N., & Moradi, E. (2020). The relationship between sport event quality, satisfaction, perceive value, loyalty and behavior intention: a meta-analysis. New Approaches in Exercise Physiology, 2(4), 151-178. https://doi.org/10.22054/nass.2021.58974.1085
Gibson, H. (2017). Sport tourism and theory and other developments: some reflections. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 21(2), 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2017.1319514
Gibson, H. J. (1998). Sport Tourism: A Critical Analysis of Research. Sport Management Review, 1(1), 45–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3523(98)70099-3
Gibson, H. J., Kaplanidou, K., & Kang, S. J. (2012). Small-scale event sport tourism: A case study in sustainable tourism. Sport Management Review, 15(2), 160–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2011.08.013
Gibson, H. J., Willming, C., & Holdnak, A. (2003). Small-scale event sport tourism: Fans as tourists. Tourism Management, 24(2), 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(02)00058-4
Gholipour, N., & Moradi, E. (2020). The relationship between sport event quality, satisfaction, perceive value, loyalty and behavior intention: a meta-analysis. New Approaches in Exercise Physiology, 2(4), 151-178. https://doi.org/10.22054/nass.2021.58974.1085
Guzeller, C. O., & Celiker, N. (2019). Bibliometrical analysis of Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 24(1), 108–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2018.1541182
Higham, J. (2005). Sport tourism destinations: Issues, opportunities and analysis. In Sport tourism destinations: Issues, opportunities and analysis. Amsterdam: Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780080474434-1
Higham, J. (2021). Sport tourism: a perspective article. Tourism Review, 76(1), 64–68. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-10-2019-0424
Hinch, T. D., & Higham, J. E. S. (2001). Sport tourism: a framework for research. International Journal of Tourism Research, 3(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/1522-1970(200101/02)3:1<45::aid-jtr243>3.0.co;2-a
Hinch, T., Higham, J., & Sant, S. L. (2014). Taking stock of sport tourism research. In The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism (pp. 413–424). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118474648.ch33
Hota, P. K., Subramanian, B., & Narayanamurthy, G. (2020). Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Citation/Co-citation Analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 166(1), 89–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04129-4
Jiménez-García, M., Ruiz-Chico, J., Peña-Sánchez, A. R., & López-Sánchez, J. A. (2020). A Bibliometric Analysis of Sports Tourism and Sustainability (2002–2019). Sustainability, 12(7), 2840. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072840
Kaplanidou, K., & Gibson, H. J. (2010). Predicting behavioral intentions of active event sport tourists: The case of a small-scale recurring sports event. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 15(2), 163–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2010.498261
Kaplanidou, K., & Vogt, C. (2007). The interrelationship between sport event and destination image and sport tourists’ behaviours. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 12(3–4), 183–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080701736932
Kumar, S., Maggino, F., Mahto, R. V., Sureka, R., Alaimo, L. S., & Lim, W. M. (2022). Social Indicators Research: A Retrospective Using Bibliometric Analysis. Social Indicators Research, 162(1), 413–448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-021-02847-9
Kumar, S., Sureka, R., & Vashishtha, A. (2020). The Journal of Heritage Tourism: a bibliometric overview since its inception. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 15(4), 365–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2020.1754423
Leung, X. Y., Sun, J., & Bai, B. (2017). Bibliometrics of social media research: A co-citation and co-word analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 66, 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.06.012
Liu, H., Chen, H., Hong, R., Liu, H., & You, W. (2020). Mapping knowledge structure and research trends of emergency evacuation studies. Safety Science, 121, 348–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.09.020
Maggon, M. (2022). A Bibliometric Analysis of Journal of Relationship Marketing (2002–2019). Journal of Relationship Marketing, 21(4), 324–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332667.2022.2080465
Meyer, M., Waldkirch, R. W., Duscher, I., & Just, A. (2018). Drivers of citations: An analysis of publications in “top” accounting journals. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 51, 24–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2017.07.001
Mollah, M. R. A., Cuskelly, G., & Hill, B. (2021). Sport tourism collaboration: a systematic quantitative literature review. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 25(1), 3–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2021.1877563
Moradi, E. (2023). An Updated Overview of Research Published in Sport Marketing Quarterly (2012 to 2022): A Tri-Method Approach. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 32(4), 343–369. https://doi.org/10.32731/smq.324.122023.06
Moradi, E. (2024). Mapping of Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights themes: a retrospective overview. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 7(2), 1211–1237. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-12-2022-0638
Moradi, E., Ehsani, M., Saffari, M., & Norouzi Seyed Hosseini, R. (2022). Developing an integrated model for the competitiveness of sports tourism destinations. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 26, 100743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2022.100743
Moradi, E., Ehsani, M., Saffari, M., & Norouzi Seyed Hosseini, R. (2023a). How can destination competitiveness play an essential role in small island sports tourism development? Integrated ISM-MICMAC modelling of key factors. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 6(3), 1222–1252. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-03-2022-0118
Moradi, E., Gholampour, S., & Gholampour, B. (2023b). Past, present and future of sport policy: a bibliometric analysis of International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics (2010–2022). International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 15(4), 577–602. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2023.2228829
Nova-Reyes, A., Muñoz-Leiva, F., & Luque-Martínez, T. (2020). The Tipping Point in the Status of Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior Research? A Bibliometric Analysis. Sustainability, 12(8), 3141. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083141
Norouzi Seyed Hossini, R., Moradi, E., & Amini, M. (2022). How Can the Elite Sports in Iran Lead to the Promotion of the Sports Industry Businesses? An ISM-MICMAC Approach. Sports Business Journal, 2(2), 145-168. https://doi.org/10.22051/sbj.2022.42189.1062
O’Leary, D. E. (2021). Recent Research Topics and a Bibliometric Analysis of Jocec. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 31(1), 78–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/10919392.2021.1885875
Oliveira, J. R. de, Tobar, F. B., & Capraro, A. M. (2021). Football tourism: a bibliometric analysis of published works in the tourism-based journals (2003–2019). Journal of Sport and Tourism, 25(4), 317–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2021.1965010
Preuss, H. (2007). The conceptualisation and measurement of mega sport event legacies. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 12(3–4), 207–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080701736957
Scopus. (2021). Sources. Elsevier B. V. https://www.scopus.com/sources.uri
Sharma, P., Singh, R., Tamang, M., Singh, A. K., & Singh, A. K. (2021). Journal of teaching in travel &tourism: a bibliometric analysis. Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism, 21(2), 155–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2020.1845283
Shi, B., Wei, W., Qin, X., Zhao, F., Duan, Y., Sun, W., Li, D., & Cao, Y. (2019). Mapping theme trends and knowledge structure on adipose-derived stem cells: A bibliometric analysis from 2003 to 2017. Regenerative Medicine, 14(1), 33–48. https://doi.org/10.2217/rme-2018-0117
Singh, R., Sibi, P. S., & Sharma, P. (2022). Journal of ecotourism: a bibliometric analysis. Journal of Ecotourism, 21(1), 37–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2021.1916509
Smith, B., & Weed, M. (2007). The potential of narrative research in sports tourism. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 12(3–4), 249–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080701737005
Standeven, J. (1998). Sport tourism: Joint marketing — A starting point for beneficial synergies. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 4(1), 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/135676679800400104
Stremersch, S., Verniers, I., & Verhoef, P. C. (2007). The Quest for Citations: Drivers of Article Impact. Journal of Marketing, 71(3), 171–193. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.71.3.171
Tabassum, S., Pereira, F. S. F., Fernandes, S., & Gama, J. (2018). Social network analysis: An overview. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 8(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/widm.1256
Tahamtan, I., Safipour Afshar, A., & Ahamdzadeh, K. (2016). Factors affecting number of citations: a comprehensive review of the literature. Scientometrics, 107(3), 1195–1225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-016-1889-2
Takata, K., & Hallmann, K. (2021). A systematic quantitative review of authenticity in sport tourism. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 25(1), 26–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2021.1877564
Valtakoski, A. (2020). The evolution and impact of qualitative research in Journal of Services Marketing. Journal of Services Marketing, 34(1), 8–23. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2018-0359
Van Rheenen, D., Cernaianu, S., & Sobry, C. (2017). Defining sport tourism: a content analysis of an evolving epistemology. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 21(2), 75–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2016.1229212
Varma, A., Kumar, S., Lim, W. M., & Pandey, N. (2023). Personnel Review at age 50: a retrospective using bibliometric analysis. Personnel Review, 52(4), 1291–1320. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-05-2021-0313
Wäsche, H., Dickson, G., Woll, A., & Brandes, U. (2017). Social network analysis in sport research: an emerging paradigm. European Journal for Sport and Society, 14(2), 138–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2017.1318198
Weed, M. (2005). Sports Tourism Theory and Method—Concepts, Issues and Epistemologies. European Sport Management Quarterly, 5(3), 229–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184740500190587
Weed, M. (2006a). Editorial: Introducing the journal of sport & tourism. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 11(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/1477508060985143
Weed, M. (2006b). Sports tourism research 2000–2004: A systematic review of knowledge and a meta-evaluation of methods. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 11(1), 5–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080600985150
Weed, M. (2009). Progress in sports tourism research? A meta-review and exploration of futures. Tourism Management, 30(5), 615–628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.02.002
Wei, F., & Zhang, G. (2020). Exploring the intellectual structure and evolution of 24 top business journals: a scientometric analysis. Electronic Library, 38(3), 493–511. https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-12-2019-0279
Wicker, P., Scharfenkamp, K., & Lesch, L. (2022). Publication and citation analysis of articles published in the European Journal for Sport and Society, 2004–2020. European Journal for Sport and Society, 19(4), 295–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2022.2133412
Wilson, C. S., & Tenopir, C. (2008). Local citation analysis, publishing and reading patterns: Using multiple methods to evaluate faculty use of an academic library’s research collection. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 59(9), 1393–1408. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20812
Yamashita, R. (2022). A quantitative scoping review of information search behaviour in sport tourism. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 26(4), 363–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2022.2098807
Zhang, M. (2010). Social Network Analysis: History, Concepts, and Research. In Handbook of Social Network Technologies and Applications (pp. 3–21). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7142-5_1
 
 
 
Journal of New Studies in Sport Management
Volume 7, Issue 1
March 2026
Pages 19-42

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics