Sports and Tourism Connected to the Environment: A Critical Review

The present study focuses on examining the linkage between sport and tourism and the way that environmental concerns contributed to this interlinkage. The aim of the study is to dive deeper into the basis of the connection and understand the circumstances that supported this connection with a critical eye. At the first glance, sports and tourism-related activities share no common environmental principles. Surprisingly, this epidermic approach will soon withdraw to the notion that their union is indisputable, especially when it comes to the practical setting of sport competition, sports events and venues. The examination employed critical review and content analysis of the available sustainability-related paradigms, as well as sport and tourism theories and typologies as they developed over the past 30 years. The present review underlines our common rising consciousness toward environmental protection which was also early adopted by the sport and tourism scholars and operators. Despite this initial instinctive appreciation of the intrinsic green character of sport and tourism, proof is needed to build on the equivalent green operation, policy and academic theory. The theory maturity signaled that further definitional and typological analysis and clarification are needed to differentiate among the diverse sport and tourism forms and uniquely categorize the greenest parts of this sport and tourism function. The outcome of this study highlights the roots of this amalgamation, in the scope of the natural environment contribution, hopefully contributing to a more sustainable sports tourism industry and a robust sport and tourism operation.