Author Identifier (ORCID)
Songshan (Sam) Huang: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4990-2788
Abstract
This study aims to develop a scale to measure marathon tourists' personal development (MTPD) by employing a rigorous scale development methodology. A qualitative study involving 21 in-depth interviews was conducted to generate a pool of items. These items were then validated through two extensive surveys with 504 and 452 participants, respectively. Results show a six-dimension 23-item scale for measuring tourists’ personal development in marathon tourism. These dimensions are self-perception, personal willpower, physical quality, emotion, skills, and ability. This study not only facilitates further empirical research in sport tourism but also provides actionable insights for marathon destination managers to enhance precision marketing strategies. Moreover, by applying the serious leisure framework to marathon tourism, this study offers significant theoretical contributions, paving the way for future interdisciplinary research in sports and leisure.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
12-1-2024
Volume
61
Publication Title
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Business and Law
RAS ID
75862
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (42171223)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
First Page
78
Last Page
90
Comments
This is an Authors Accepted Manuscript version of an article published by Elsevier in Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The published version is available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2024.09.013
Zhou, B., Wang, L., Huang, S. S., & Huang, M. (2024). Personal development of marathon tourists: Scale development and validation. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 61, 78-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2024.09.013