Contrasting The Characteristics And Perceptions Of Pre- And Post-Covid Spectators Of An International Tennis Event

Resumen

Aim and Research QuestionsThe Covid-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of sports events globally. Tennis, being anindividual sport, is one of the most international sports, with a high impact on the economy. Inthis context, the next question arises: How has the pandemic affected the attendance ofinternational tennis events? This work aims to contrast the age, visitor’s plans in the city/event,expenditure, economic value, satisfaction, and probability of recommendation of aninternational tennis event held in Madrid in pre-pandemic (2019) and post-pandemic (2022)editions.Theoretical Background and Literature ReviewAccording to Gratton et al. (2000), international tennis events are considered type B events,with regular occurrence, significant economic impact, high media coverage, and high spectatorattendance. In the early post-pandemic era, the physical proximity of attending spectators hasbecome crucial in event management (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2020), with tennis, anindividual sport, showing a favorable position in returning to competition (Carmody et al.,2020). Consumer behavior has also become crucial consideration for organizers of majorsporting events (Sheth, 2020), being required the evaluation of new moral, cultural, and socialparameters once the health emergency subsides (Moscoso-Sánchez, 2020).Therefore, event organizers need to recognize the evolving dynamics of spectator behavior andpreferences. By understanding the successful reintegration of tennis competitions, andaddressing the shifts in consumer behavior, organizers can effectively tailor their eventofferings to ensure an optimal user experience and meet the expectations of their targetaudience.Research Design, Methodology, and Data AnalysisThis study compares two editions of an international tennis event held in Madrid, Spain: onein 2019 (pre-Covid) and one in 2022 (post-Covid). Surveys were conducted with aconvenience sample of spectators at both editions, with 844 in 2019 and 1374 in 2022. Theaverage age was 41.28 (±13.83) in the pre-Covid edition and 39.47 (±13.72) in the post-Covid.Most of the attendees lived in the Community of Madrid (pre=43.7%; post=44.2%).International spectators were approximately one-quarter of the total spectators (pre=25.0%;post=25.7%).An ad-hoc questionnaire composed of 21 questions, including 4 related to sociodemographicand sample characteristics, 3 items regarding plans in the city and event, 2 items about actualexpenditure and perceived economic value, 13 items assessing satisfaction with various eventattributes, and 2 items about recommending the event and the city. The satisfaction-relatedquestions were also designed ad-hoc and adapted from previous research (León-Quismondo etal., 2023). Satisfaction was measured as a unidimensional construct on a 5-point Likert scale.Participants were surveyed between matches, in the sports venue for 9 days, in every time slot(morning, afternoon, and evening). A trained group of researchers collected responses usingQuickTapSurvey software.The IBM SPSS 29.0 Statistics software was utilized for data analysis in this study, with thesignificance level set at p<0.05. Descriptive statistics were used to present the mean, standarddeviation, and percentages for the variables. The normality of the sample was explored usingthe Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, revealing a non-normal behavior of the variables. As such, anon-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was performed to compare the means of linear variablesbetween both editions.Results/Findings and DiscussionStatistically significant differences were observed between the pre- and post-Covid editions interms of age, with a difference of fewer than two years (older in the 2019 edition). Regardingthe items related to the plans in the city or the event, it was found that the number of days spentin the city was statistically higher before the pandemic (p=0.531), but after the pandemic, therewas a decrease of one day. The number of days spent in the event did not show any statisticallysignificant difference, although the group size was found to be larger post-pandemic (3.13people instead of 2.23). Concerning the actual expenditure and perceived economic value, bothshowed a significant increase in the post-pandemic event, with slightly higher values (€179.03adjusted to inflation). This shows coherence with previous work on sports tourismexpenditures (Guerra et al., 2023).In terms of satisfaction with the event, 13 items were analyzed, with most of them indicatingsignificantly higher satisfaction values in the post-pandemic edition. The exception was thewaiting time in the food and beverage area, which did not show any significant difference. Theelement with the largest difference (D) was ticket prices (D=0.54).The probability of recommending both the event and the city was found to be significantlyhigher (p<0.001) in the post-pandemic edition compared to the pre-pandemic edition.Conclusion, Contribution, and ImplicationThis study intends to contrast the pre- and post-situation of tennis international events. Afterthe pandemic, the spectators travel in larger groups and spend fewer days in the city, but theyspend more on products and services. This work has clear implications for sporting eventorganizers, who could tailor the events' characteristics to their spectators' characteristics,patterns, and demands.