Developing A Sport Event- Should Vuokatti Hiihto Join In The Euroloppet?

Abstract

Every product has a lifecycle and it is important for tourism providers to review their products every now and them so as to determine the current stage and its implications. Tourism products just like any other product age with time and therefore call for product development to keep them profitable and competitive in the market environment. This study was initiated following the need to attract new market for a skiing marathon event, Vuokatti Hiihto. The purpose was to derive a profile of a skier in the target market and his or her interest in participation. The study introduces sport tourism with emphasis on sport event tourism based on related literature. Theoretical framework of the study is based on product development with more focus on relocating a product to attract new markets. Furthermore, description of the case study is provided along with sta-tistics of skiing in Finland based on secondary material. A survey was conducted resulting to primary data which was analysed using quantitatively. The study discovered that more than half of the survey’s respondents were willing to participate in Vuokatti Hiihto in the future with 56.5%) of potential customers being Germans. In addition, the skiers’ preferred lengths and skiing styles already existed in Vuokatti Hiihto. The product would be repositioned to suit the interests of potential market and proper marketing efforts implemented. In conclusion, it was recommended that Vuokatti Hiihto should join the Euroloppet.