Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance Runners

This study attempted to explore how World Heritage sites and mass participation marathons may have an effect on each other. Feedback and comments of marathon runners (N=530) who participated in the World Heritage Himeji Castle Marathon and the Mt. Fuji Marathon were content analyzed to investigate:...

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Main Author: Chin-Kuang Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Istanbul University 2016-12-01
Series:Journal of Tourismology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/iuturizmoloji/issue/36495/415201?publisher=istanbul
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author Chin-Kuang Chen
author_facet Chin-Kuang Chen
author_sort Chin-Kuang Chen
collection DOAJ
description This study attempted to explore how World Heritage sites and mass participation marathons may have an effect on each other. Feedback and comments of marathon runners (N=530) who participated in the World Heritage Himeji Castle Marathon and the Mt. Fuji Marathon were content analyzed to investigate: (a) How runners perceive the image of a World Heritage site featured in a marathon; (b) How is a value proposition that bundles heritage and marathon experiences accepted by runners. The findings showed that despite the featured World Heritage status appearing to be the key element in designing the value proposition, operational elements and social interaction elements also played vital roles in the value cocreation process. Aiming to use heritage tourism resources as a differentiating factor, marathon organizers need to ensure the quality of operational elements and better involve local businesses and residents as active participants.
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spelling doaj.art-55e4ed03e1814294af7ac58d19a5e2fb2023-02-15T16:09:20ZengIstanbul UniversityJournal of Tourismology2459-19392016-12-01222124Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance RunnersChin-Kuang ChenThis study attempted to explore how World Heritage sites and mass participation marathons may have an effect on each other. Feedback and comments of marathon runners (N=530) who participated in the World Heritage Himeji Castle Marathon and the Mt. Fuji Marathon were content analyzed to investigate: (a) How runners perceive the image of a World Heritage site featured in a marathon; (b) How is a value proposition that bundles heritage and marathon experiences accepted by runners. The findings showed that despite the featured World Heritage status appearing to be the key element in designing the value proposition, operational elements and social interaction elements also played vital roles in the value cocreation process. Aiming to use heritage tourism resources as a differentiating factor, marathon organizers need to ensure the quality of operational elements and better involve local businesses and residents as active participants.https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/iuturizmoloji/issue/36495/415201?publisher=istanbulWorld Heritagemarathonsports tourismJapansocial interaction
spellingShingle Chin-Kuang Chen
Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance Runners
Journal of Tourismology
World Heritage
marathon
sports tourism
Japan
social interaction
title Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance Runners
title_full Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance Runners
title_fullStr Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance Runners
title_full_unstemmed Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance Runners
title_short Staging Mass Participation Marathons in Heritage Tourism Destinations: Seeing Through the Eyes of Distance Runners
title_sort staging mass participation marathons in heritage tourism destinations seeing through the eyes of distance runners
topic World Heritage
marathon
sports tourism
Japan
social interaction
url https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/iuturizmoloji/issue/36495/415201?publisher=istanbul
work_keys_str_mv AT chinkuangchen stagingmassparticipationmarathonsinheritagetourismdestinationsseeingthroughtheeyesofdistancerunners