ESRC grant for BU sport tourism research

13 August 2009

Following a successful funding bid, a BU sports academic is leading a new international research project into sport tourism.

As the UK gears up for the 2012 Olympics, BU sports academic Richard Shipway has been awarded funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to carry out a global research project into sport tourism and events.

The funding, which forms part of the ESRC’s International Training and Networking Opportunities Programme, marks the increased importance and profile of sport tourism and sport events as valuable areas of research.

The Sport Tourism Opportunities for Research, Mobility and International Networking Group (STORMING) initiative involves the delivery of a series of international sport tourism events across four continents – Europe, Australia, North America, and Asia.

Organised for 2010, the events will be themed on particular aspects of sport tourism development and the impacts and legacies of sporting events.

As part of the initiative, fifteen travel and conference bursaries will be offered to UK-based early career researchers to attend one of three international sport tourism networking events taking place in Australia, Florida and South Korea.

Richard Shipway, based within BU’s Centre for Event & Sport Research in the School of Services Management, said: “Given the rising profile and economic significant of sporting events and the tourism impacts they bring, 2010 was acknowledged by the ESRC as an opportune year to support emerging sport tourism research.

“The bursaries will be utilised to develop research opportunities across existing and emerging international sport tourism networks, whilst also increasing international mobility and providing networking opportunities for emerging researchers with a commitment to support and further develop sport tourism research.”

It is anticipated that this initiative will also act as a catalyst for future research projects across the School of Services Management within the context of sport and society, internationalisation, and the 2012 Games – all identified by the ESRC as areas that merit further research.