Serious Recreation and Environmental Awareness in Sport Tourism: Differences Between Active and Passive Tourists

Abstract

This study aims to assess the importance of environmental awareness among sports tourists on their engagement with and intention to recommend an event, focusing on the degree of difference between active and passive tourist groups. The study uses quantitative methods to collect, process, and analyze data through SPSS and AMOS software. The results are striking: environmental awareness is the strongest determinant of whether tourists intend to engage with and recommend a sporting event, followed by emotional experience and destination image, with significant differences between these two tourist groups. This suggests that the future tourism segment will focus on serious recreation, combining physical and mental health enhancement with environmental awareness, cultural heritage preservation, and immersive experiential activities. By integrating environmental awareness into the sports tourism experience, destinations can enhance visitor satisfaction while supporting sustainable development goals. The research strengthens the literature on sustainability and environmental behavior through empirical evidence in responsible sports tourism from the perspective of both active and passive visitor groups.