THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURE SPORT
TOURISM EVENT: ESTORIL PORTUGAL XPD RACE 2006-2009
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
What is “ADVENTURE RACING”?
Is it an emerging sport?
A new form of Sport Tourism?
Or just an extreme senseless
endeavour?
Adventure Racing is...
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
to test their limits,
both physical and
mental.
with hi-tec clothing
and equipment
A long jouney in
the nature
for experienced and
fit sportsman
(sportswoman)
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
What was “ESTORIL PORTUGAL
eXPeDition EVENT”?
A Sport Tourism Event?
A promotional strategy to develop
Nature and/or Adventure Tourism?
Or just a “greenwashing” manouver
to disguise an heavy CO2 Event
Portfolio?
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
In fact “ESTORIL PORTUGAL XPD EVENT”
was all about challenge and innovation.
Portugal as destination was a novelty in the World Series ?
It proposed a new event concept for AR which integrates social
dimensions (a debate forum and training courses) along with
serious racing.
It proposed a new racing philosophy which integrates strategic
planning and race experience as core ingredients.
And above all, selected Sustainability as the main goal of the
Event.
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
ESTORIL PORTUGAL XPD EVENT was based
in a solid partnership between 3 major players:
A non-profit Organisation - APCA (Portuguese Adventure Racing
Association),
A regional tourism board - TE (Turismo Estoril, former Junta de
Turismo do Estoril),
The municipality of CASCAIS.
All agreed to develop a four year project with three different phases - Trial,
development and consolidation.
TRIAL phase - 2006
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
The probatory event was imposed by the Adventure Racing World
Series (ARWS)directive body before recognising the Portuguese
Race as a Word Series event,
It was developed on top of an already planned two days national
series AR who was expanded to a 6 days event,
Managed to attract the attention of 9 International Teams with
several famous racers and organisers.
Imposition of strict environmental regulations based on the
principles of Leave no Trace: minimum marking of the course on
the terrain, litter disposal only in allowed places and freedom on
route choice to disperse the race pack.
DEVELOPMENT phase 2007/ 2008
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
Increasing international notoriety of event due to a persistent
effort in the available racers and teams email lists.
Development of new WebSite for the Event fully structured, with
an easy navigation, bi-lingual and with a efficient back office to
support the event management.
Production of extensive contents and informations to support the
teams (clients)decision and planning processes.
Extend the duration of the event to nine days (80% increase) to
generate more Economic Revenue to Estoril and other communities
(in average each race traversed 22 different municipalities).
Sharp increase in the number of International teams (75% in
average) and in the number of countries represented (62%).
DEVELOPMENT phase 2007/ 2008
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
Internacional Teams
Teams
Countries
90
90
82
80
70
45
60
58
50
30
59
40
50
30
33
31
20
15
25
18
10
15
13
7
0
2006
2007
2008
2009
0
Estoril XPD editions
Figure 1. - Evolution of the participation in the Estoril Portugal XPD Race 2006-2009.
Teams & Countries
Percentage of Int. Teams
60
CONSOLIDATION phase - 2009
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
Luck and hard work were the ingredients to win the bid for the
2009 Adventure Racing World Championship (ARWC).
Under the spot lights of the specialized media and Social Network
groups during the full year.
More than 69.000 visits by cyber-followers from 95 countries with
an average a 11 minutes visit to the race online coverage (10 days
including pre and post-race comments and interviews).
More than 1500 published news and articles in 32 countries.
Harsh and rather unfair competition from other major Adventure
Racing Events, namely from the multimillionaire Abu-Dhabi
Adventure Challenge.
CONSOLIDATION phase - 2009
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
A world breaking record in the number of international teams
(90%) and countries represented (25).
The longest ARWC ever with 908km, 128 hours of non-stop racing
and just 5 hours of sleep for the winners (an amazing 4%).
The more “natural” and diverse race course, traversing 10 different
natural parks and special conservation areas in 30 municipalities
using 25 different sports and/or sport activities.
An inclusive race that allow frequent contacts among the teams
regardless of their scoring position with an unprecedented
percentage (75%) of teams crossing the finish line (the normal
drop rate is normally above that same figure).
CONSOLIDATION phase - 2009
Number of teams
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
Number of countries
90
90
30
80
25
70
60
60
59
51
49
50
20
46
41
43
15
40
25
32
22
30
19
20
11
11
2004
2005
16
15
14
10
5
10
0
0
2001
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
0
Teams and Nationalities
Figure 2. - Evolution of the participation in the Adventure Racing World Championship.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Estoril Portugal XPD and
Sustainability
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
Only non-motorised sports are allowed in Adventure
Racing.
The race course allow multiple choice among different
type of trails and dust roads, with off-road options
being slower and “painful”.
The ultra long distances and low speed reduces
significantly the impact of the race in the more delicate
ecosystems.
Strict regulations to the race implementation and
cleaning of the assistance areas avoid leaving marks
and garbage in the terrain.
Adoption of a CO2 reduction policy in the layout and
infrastructure planned for the race (36,6 reduction on
road travelling distances)
ECONOMICAL
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
Effective tourism promotion of Estoril as an excellent
hosting destination for Sport Tourism Events and
Portugal as the “Adventure Land”.
SOCIAL
Estoril Portugal XPD and
Sustainability
Large interactions between teams, racers, organisation,
local population in all aspects of the event (the racers
were allowed to shop for drinks and food along the way)
Effective creation of Value along the touristic value
chain, particularly due to the long duration of the
event and the costumer profile of the participants.
Significant savings in resources due to advance
planning for all the dimensions of the event, namely
the more costly related with safety and rescue.
A very strong involvement of volunteers coming from
different origins, backgrounds and countries
Estoril Portugal XPD and
Sustainability
TBL
Indicators
Economic
Number of Int. Teams (%all)
2006
2007
2008
2009
Average
18
58
82
90
62
28
52
60
100
60
not available
2,26
2,5
11,7
5,5
Number of Volunteers (% of
staff)
95
90
88
82
89
Number of participants in the
Conference/Clinics (% of
racers)
40
44
60
31
44
Reduction of travel (% Race
Length)
no reduction
40
55
15
36,6
Number of Protected Areas
(% per race day)
50
75
80
143
87
Number of Countries (%max)
Number of media articles
published (per race hour)
Social
Environmental
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
Table 1. - Summary of the Sustainability indicators derived from the available data from
the Event (Official reports and web site)
Main findings and conclusions
GUEDES DA SILVA, A. & SARMENTO, M.
Estoril Portugal XPD Event was a successful SPORT TOURISM
Event, being now the holder of several world records, namely the
number of International teams and countries ever present in an
Adventure Race,
The Event has seriously address the Sustainability agenda
presenting some impressive indicators an a general trend towards
a more sustain event year after year.
Adventure Racing has some inherent advantages who places it as
one of the most interesting options for the development of
Sustainable Sport Tourism Events.
The on-line media coverage of the Event prove to be fully adequate
to the objectives of Tourism Promotion and Nature Preservation.
OBRIGADO
ALEXANDRE GUEDES DA SILVA
CESH 2011
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORM
First Author (Presenting Author)
First Name
Affiliation
Email
Last Name
Alexandre
Guedes da Silva
Research Student (PhD), Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa
[email protected]
Second Author
First Name
Last Name
Manuela
Sarmento
Director, Centro de Investigação em Turismo, Inovação e Serviços,
Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa
Email [email protected]
Affiliation
Third Author
First Name
Last Name
Affiliation
Email
PREFERRED TYPE OF PRESENTATION
Oral X
Poster
THEMATIC SESSIONS
(Your abstract must be included in one of the below Thematic Sessions. Please tick (x) as appropriate)
space and geography
practices and seasons
values and markets
politics and conflicts
regions and development
X
media and communication
sex and gender
sport, glamour, and fashion
Olympics and Olympism
marketing and aesthetics
hygiene and health
science and entertainment
technology and propaganda
leisure and culture
tourism, leisure and sport
sport and the sense of pleasure
sport and education
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURE SPORT TOURISM
EVENT: ESTORIL PORTUGAL XPD RACE 2006-2009
Guedes da Silva, A.1
Sarmento, M.2
1
Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, Research Student, Portugal
Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação em Turismo, Inovação e Serviços, Portugal
2
Numerous regions and localities are progressively utilizing nature-based recreation and sport events as part of a broader
tourism strategy to enhance their image and stimulate economic development. The paper reviews and critically
examines the development of an international adventure sport event by a regional tourism authority and a national
sports association. An examination of sport event practices and management in relation to environmental aspects offers
opportunities to reflect on the importance of sustainability triple bottom lines (economic, social and environmental).
The main goal is to demonstrate that the correct measurements of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of
nature-based tourism events are fundamental to assess and support the labels of “green events” normally tagged to these
events. The research demonstrates that Nature provides an ideal location for tourism events and tourism events provide
an opportunity for environmental education to significant numbers of participants, spectators and local populations.
Thus, mutually beneficial relationships can and must be explored between event stakeholders.
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