The geographies and psychologies of global transitions: Implications for sport, tourism, climate, health, wellbeing and the economy

This commentary considers transitions at three levels. First, global transitions: both the temporary transitions to and from restrictions on behaviours, movement and freedom required to combat COVID-19; and the expected permanent global transitions for societies, organisations and individuals required to combat climate change. Secondly, destinations’ transitions as they turn to sport to extend, enhance, diversify or adapt their tourism offer. Third, sports tourists’ transitions in which they seek a sense of movement to or through places that are perceptually distinct from the usual, mundane or routine, and deriving from an interaction of activity, people and place that sports tourists perceive they cannot experience ‘at home’. The commentary suggests that the experience of global transitions to and from COVID-19 restrictions, together with the expected global transitions that will be required to combat climate change, have created a legacy that may result in a growth in everyday sports tourism, which delivers a sense of movement, visit or transition through a psychological journey, rather than a journey at geographical scale. The implications for destinations are that they will increasingly need to compete not only with other destinations, but with sports tourists’ active decisions not to travel at all, and to instead seek experiences that enhance health and wellbeing at or closer to home. To compete effectively destinations will need to emphasise and articulate the genuine uniqueness of the experiences of the specific interaction of activity, people and place that their destination offers.