Perceived event sustainability as a moderator connecting marathon participants’ motivations to place attachment, value perceptions, and value co-creation behaviors
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examines how sports tourists’ motivations influence place attachment, perceived value, and value co-creation behaviors, with perceived event sustainability as a moderating factor. Through a quantitative survey of 365 marathon participants across Chinese cities, we tested relationships between three motivational factors (athletic pleasure, achievement seeking, and social media recognition) and tourism outcomes. Results confirmed that all motivational factors had positive associations with both place attachment and perceived value, with perceived event sustainability significantly moderating these relationships. Furthermore, both place attachment and perceived value were found to be positively associated with value co-creation behavior. These findings extend the theoretical understanding of sports tourism psychology by establishing empirically validated pathways between motivations and behavioral outcomes while highlighting sustainability’s growing importance as a strategic element in sports tourism experiences.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Xian Zhang, Ligang Feng
Institutions: Baoding University, Woosuk University, Shenyang City University
Language: English
Topic: Sport and Mega-Event Impacts
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W7128704120