Reinforcement of Sustainability in Sports Events through Sustainability of Sports Event Facilities

Abstract

Sport stands out as one of the most financially successful industries, with sports tourism becoming one of the fastest-expanding segments of the tourism industry. Sports events boost tourism and local economies, but they also cause sustainability challenges. Sports facilities play a crucial role in promoting sustainability in sports events, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an impactful way to evaluate the level of sustainability and aspects of development.

The City of Tampere has commissioned the research. The research aimed to identify whether the sustainability of a sports facility is relevant to the sustainability of sports events and how sustainability could be improved in facilities and events. The City of Tampere is a remarkable international competition and event enabler, and there is a wide selection of sports facilities in Tampere. The sustainability of the two sports event facilities, Tampere Stadium and Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre, was examined through the United Nations’ SDGs.

The research was conducted using a qualitative research approach with four preliminary interviews, seven semi-structured and recorded expert interviews, and one e-mail interview. The collected data was coded and categorized into themes and analyzed with the content analysis. The analysis aimed to find areas for development and the differences and similarities of the views of different stakeholders on the topic.

The results showed that sports event sustainability and the realization of the United Nations’ SDGs in sports events can be reinforced through the sustainability of sports event facilities. The study found several implementations to improve the sustainability of sports events have already been conducted, and all the studied SDGs are partially realized in sports event facilities and sports events. However, the study revealed that substantial efforts are requisite to ensure the sustainability of the operation, and the findings presented concrete measures for further development.

The research provides insights into the role of sports event facilities in reinforcing the sustainability of sports events and serves as a tool for developing the sustainability of sports events and sports event facilities. Reinforcing sustainability in sports events and sports event facilities is necessary to succeed in the industry. By making sports event facilities more sustainable, the City of Tampere, event organizers, and other stakeholders can reduce the environmental impact and improve social and economic sustainability of their events, and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.