The Influence of Sport Event Quality on Sport Tourist Loyalty: A Case Study in Buriram Province, Thailand

Abstract

Sport tourist loyalty is a critical determinant for the sustained success of the sport tourism sector and its related value chain within Buriram Province, Thailand, a region strategically branded as a 'Sport City.' This loyalty is essential for driving regional economic development through stable revenue streams. To effectively foster this crucial loyalty, this study focused on investigating the influence of sport event quality — a factor widely recognized as a key antecedent in the tourism experience. The primary objective was to empirically examine the structural relationship between sport event quality and sport tourist loyalty in the Buriram context. A mixed-methods research design was employed. The quantitative phase involved a sample of 320 sport tourist participants, meticulously selected using Multi-Stage Sampling from attendees of major sport events in Buriram Province. Data were collected via questionnaires focusing on established dimensions of service quality in sport events, such as Game Quality, Interaction Quality, Physical Environment Quality, and Outcome Quality. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, standard deviation), relational analysis (Pearson correlation), and confirmatory structural analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships. Complementing this, the qualitative phase involved in-depth interviews with 15 key stakeholders, including sport tourism managers and industry experts in Thailand, to provide contextual depth and validate the quantitative findings. The findings revealed that both the perception of sport event quality and the level of sport tourist loyalty were rated at a consistently high level. Crucially, the SEM analysis confirmed that sport event quality exerted a positive and statistically significant influence on sport tourist loyalty in Buriram Province (p < 0.05). Furthermore, specific quality dimensions, particularly Physical Environment Quality (referring to venue facilities like the Chang International Circuit and Chang Arena) and Interaction Quality (staff service), were identified as key drivers. The research findings provide immediate, actionable guidelines for the Buriram Provincial Administration and event organizers to refine their service delivery and define a sustainable, loyalty-based sport tourism business model for long-term regional development.