Sports Tourism Management

1 SPORTS TOURISM MANAGEMENT Introduction Sports drives society, culture, global relations, economics and several other facets of both historical and modern life. For many millennia, sports has played an integral role in uniting different societies and cultures across the world. Additionally, the venues where sporting events are held such as stadia are celebrated and viewed as a crucial aspect of sporting heritage. This paper examines the relationship between sports and heritage, and also makes comparisons between The Bird’s Nest in Beijing and the Main Stadium for London Olympics.

Relationship between Sports and Heritage Across the world, sporting activities are a favorite pastime and are often considered to be an expression of a society’s culture and aspirations. Sporting events, teams, personalities, and venues are a source of influence, pride and celebration among the local and international community, which in essence, unifies people despite their differences (Gammon and Ramshaw, 2013). Sports and heritage are closely interlinked due to the rich history, culture, meaning, artifacts, monuments, and venues associated with sport (Delaney and Madigan, 2015). Like any other heritage, sports is celebrated and revered. Sports stadia are a tangible indicator of sports heritage; they act as a venue for monumental sports events and, as a result, are a symbol of civic pride and celebration.

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The Bird’s Nest in Beijing The Bird’s Nest in Beijing, also referred to as Beijing National Stadium is a worldclass stadium in Beijing, China whose construction commenced in 2003 and was officially launched in 2008. The stadium, which has a seating capacity of between 80,000 and 90,000 people, was used for the 2008 Summer Olympics and will also host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Despite the fact that it was specifically designed to host the 2008 Olympics, the stadium’s flexible design allows it to host a wide array of sporting activities and concerts (Fan, 2013). Constructed using roughly 40,000 tons of steel, the Bird’s Nest stands out globally as the largest building constructed almost entirely from steel and is considered as one of the symbols of modern architecture in China (Hong, 2015). The stadium’s main distinctive feature is a massive saddle-shaped structure made entirely from steel. It has a height of 70 meters and measures an estimated 330 meters vertically and about 290 meters from east to west (Holt and Ruta, 2015). The Bird’s Nest is located in one of the most seismic regions in the world and to make it earthquake resistant, its architects ensured that its design incorporated several features such as a roof that is separate from the seating bowl.

The Bird’s Nest was constructed in accordance with the regulations outlined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). The contract for the design and construction of the stadium was awarded to a Swiss architecture firm known as Herzog & de Meuron in 2003, after a competitive bidding process.

The structure cost approximately $425 million to construct.

The London Stadium

3 The London Stadium, formally known as the Olympic Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Stratford district of London. Its construction began in 2008, and the completed stadium was officially launched in 2012. It was constructed to host the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The Stadium also hosted some of the 2015 Rugby World Cup matches, the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships and 2017 World Para Athletics Champions (Masterman, 2014); and is poised to continue hosting major sports events in the future. It has a seating capacity of between 57,000 and 80,000 people depending on the nature of the event. The stadium hosts both sporting events and musical concerts The Stadium has a unique design; it is a tiered-structure whose distinctive feature is a sunken bowl which goes up to sixty-six feet deep. It was constructed at the cost of approximately £ 485 million, and between 2013 and 2016, the Stadium was renovated at the cost of approximately £ 275 million (Gratton et al., 2012). To maximize use of the Stadium, West Ham United football club is currently the Stadium’s anchor tenant after it was granted a 99-year lease. The stadium is owned and maintained by the Greater London Authority.

Comparison and Contrast between the Bird’s Nest in Beijing and the London Stadium The Bird’s Nest in Beijing and London Stadium are both monumental architectural structures whose primary purpose is to host sporting events and concerts. The London Stadium was designed with a focus on environmental conservation and was constructed primarily using sustainable materials such as low-carbon concrete and recycled plastic. The Bird's Nest, on the other hand, was constructed mainly from steel beams. The stadia were both built to host the Summer Olympics; The Bird's Nest was built to host the 2008 Summer

4 Olympics, while the London Stadium was constructed to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Additionally, both Stadiums are publicly owned and run.

The key differences between the two stadia arise from the cost, architectural design, use, and core functions. The Bird’s Nest is constructed mainly from steel has a more complex design and a larger seating capacity than the London Stadium; as a result, its cost of construction is higher. Unlike the London Stadium, the Bird's Nest design incorporates unique features to make it earthquake resistant since it is located in an earthquake-prone area. There is also a significant difference in how the two stadia have been used following the Summer Olympics they hosted; The London Stadium has hosted several major events such as the Rugby World Cup, while The Bird's Nest has not attracted major international events after the 2008 Summer Olympics, thus, is in a state of disuse.

Conclusion For many centuries, sport has been considered an integral part of society. Stadiums provide a venue where major local and international sports events are played are designed to host significant sporting events and are thus considered a significant factor in sporting heritage. The value of a stadium is determined by its age, history, architectural design, the materials used for its construction and the sporting events it hosts. Well-designed stadiums are not only essential to the growth of national and international sport but are also an indicator of urban and economic development. Governments devote a significant proportion of their funds to the construction and renovation of stadiums because they attract sporting events and tourism to their countries, which in turn leads to the growth of the sporting industry and the economy.

5 References Gammon, S. and Ramshaw, G. (2013). Heritage, Sport and Tourism. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.

Delaney, T. and Madigan, T. (2015). The Sociology of Sports: An Introduction, 2nd ed..

McFarland.

Hong, F. (2015). Delivering Olympic and elite sport in a cross cultural context. London: Routledge.

Fan, H. (2013). Special issue: From Beijing to London. Abingdon: Routledge, Taylor et Francis.

Holt, R. and Ruta, D. (2015). Routledge handbook of sport and legacy. London: Routledge.

Gratton, C., Liu, D., Ramchandani, G. and Wilson, D. (2012). The global economics of sport.

London: Routledge.

Masterman, G. (2014). Strategic sports event management. New York, NY: Routledge.