NAUTICAL SPORTS TOURISM: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

TURISMO DESPORTIVO NÁUTICO: UMA ANÁLISE EXPLORATÓRIA SOBRE AS OPORTUNIDADES PARA DESENVOLVIMENTO FUTURO

TURISMO NÁUTICO DEPORTIVO: UN ANÁLISIS EXPLORATORIO SOBRE OPORTUNIDADES PARA EL DESARROLLO FUTURO

Abstract:

Nautical tourism has become a very popular tourism niche either for practitioners or spectators. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, new concerns to tourists as well as different motivations to travel have emerged. In this context, the appreciation of simpler lifestyles, contact with nature and water and the practice of outdoors activities are the new trend in the post-COVID-19 world. Therefore, with the purpose to identify managerial, governmental and academic opportunities to develop this promising sector, a literature review on Nautical Sports Tourism was developed. Following a four stages bibliometric analysis (Database selection, search criteria, data selection and analysis of results), this study revealed that, although it regards a topic of considerable growing interest, there is still a long way for the nautical sports tourism literature research to reach its maturity. Regardless of the unquestionable relevance of the current publications, there is still a lack of specific theory development and framework propositions in the field of nautical sports tourism. Even so, it was observed that the combination of sports and tourism in nautical environments opens a myriad of possibilities for places willing to enhance their competitiveness, improve brand image and qualify and diversify the coastal infrastructures.

Keywords:
Nautical Tourism; Sports Tourism; Literature Review.