Sport Tourism and Community Resilience: Adaptive Strategies for Destinations in Uncertain Times

Overview/RationaleSport tourism has become a vital driver of economic development, cultural exchange, and community identity worldwide. From small-scale local events to international competitions, sport-related travel generates significant revenue, attracts global attention, and shapes destination branding. However, in an era marked by climate change, pandemics, geopolitical instability, and shifting consumer behaviors, the sustainability of sport tourism is increasingly under pressure.Destinations that rely on sport tourism are now facing complex challenges: extreme weather events disrupting outdoor competitions, rising operational costs, evolving traveler expectations, and the need to balance economic gains with social and environmental responsibility. In this context, community resilience—the capacity of destinations and their inhabitants to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and recover from disruptions—has emerged as a critical concept for the long-term viability of sport tourism.This Research Topic aims to examine how destinations can build adaptive capacity, foster community-led strategies, and design resilient sport tourism models that thrive in uncertain times.Scope and Suggested ThemesWe welcome original research, reviews, case studies, and theoretical contributions that address (but are not limited to) the following areas:Climate Resilience and Sustainability: How sport tourism destinations are adapting to climate change, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation.Post-Crisis Recovery: Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, or geopolitical disruptions and their implications for sport tourism resilience.Community-Led Adaptation: The role of local stakeholders, residents, and grassroots organizations in shaping resilient sport tourism strategies. We particularly welcome case studies and evidence of how host community voices have been used to influence policy, governance structures, and decision-making around major sport events.Economic Resilience and Diversification: Strategies for reducing destination dependency on single sport events and building diversified, sustainable revenue models.Innovation and Technology: The use of digital tools, smart infrastructure, and data-driven approaches to strengthen destination adaptability.Governance and Policy Frameworks: Examining policy mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and institutional structures that support resilient sport tourism ecosystems.Social Equity and Inclusion: Ensuring that resilience strategies benefit diverse community groups, including marginalized populations and host communities.Cultural Heritage and Identity: How sport tourism can preserve, adapt, and reinforce local cultural identity in the face of globalization and disruption.Health and Well-being: Investigating the role of sport tourism in promoting community well-being, active lifestyles, and mental health resilience.Event Sustainability Standards in Practice: We invite contributions from researchers and practitioners who have implemented or drawn on the ISO 20121-24 Event Sustainability Management Systems standard. Evidence of how this framework has been applied in sport tourism contexts — and its impact on destinations, host communities, and event governance — is especially welcome.GoalThe goal of this Research Topic is to provide a multidisciplinary platform for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore how sport tourism destinations can build resilience in the face of growing uncertainty. By integrating insights from tourism studies, sport management, urban planning, environmental science, and community development, we aim to generate actionable knowledge that supports destinations in transitioning toward more adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable models. Our ambition is to inform future strategies that empower destinations not only to survive disruption, but to emerge stronger, more equitable, and more connected to their communities. Topic editors: Zilmiyah Kamble, Tatiyaporn Jarumaneerat, Sofia K. Gkarane Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82110/sport-tourism-and-community-resilience-adaptive-strategies-for-destinations-in-uncertain-times