A comparison of social accounting matrix and occupation-based modeling techniques for estimating the personal income distribution effects of sport tourism events across different household income levels

Tourism has become an increasingly popular economic development strategy for regional economies and is frequently touted as a replacement industry for manufacturing companies that filter down to international locations (Freshwater, 2000). Sport tourism as a niche form of tourism comprises an estimated 5% of the ;The purpose of this study was to formulate a method for more precisely estimating the income distribution effects of sport tourism events. The study objectives included examining two methods to analyze sport tourism income effects: (1) Social Accounting Matrix Sport Tourism Impact Modeling (SAM-STIM); and (2) Occupation-Based Sport Tourism Impact Modeling (OB-STIM). The occupation-based technique is completed using both aggregated and disaggregated models.;Two sport tourism events that took place in the year 2001 were used as the study events: (1) The Cooper River Bridge Run; and (2) The National Softball Association "B" Girls Fastpitch World Series. Both events took place at least in part in the State of South Carolina. Mail surveys were used after the events to determine expenditure profiles of event participants and spectators who resided outside the host counties and who indicated that the sport event was the primary reason for the visit to the host counties.;The results of the SAM-STIM model indicated total personal income distribution effects that were skewed to high-income households. Both the disaggregated and aggregated OB-STIM models indicated wage income distribution effects that were skewed to low-income households. Because of the marked discrepancies in the models, a fourth modeling technique, Modified Occupation-Based Sport Tourism Impact Modeling (MOB-STIM), was introduced. This model compensated for the fixed-coefficient drawback of the SAM-STIM model and accounted for the low wage bias in the OB-STIM models. Comparison of the four models along ten characteristics suggested that the MOB-STIM model holds the most promise for further sport tourism application.;Results of the study provide the groundwork for including occupation data in tourism economic impact modeling. The findings confirm the service-based nature of tourism occupations and suggest that carefully chosen and managed short-term sport tourism events are a legitimate means of increasing a region's export base. Further research is needed to determine refined methods of measuring occupational employment change due to sport tourism events.