Gender Differences in Adventure Tourists Who Practice Kayaking in Extremadura

Adventure tourism is among the sectors that has experienced the greatest growth in participation in recent years. In addition, it provides a unique opportunity to generate different benefits for rural populations as well as for the preservation of their environment. The objective of this study was to analyze gender differences in the profile, estimated expenditure, perception of economic impact and satisfaction of adventure tourists visiting the Valle del Jerte (Extremadura, Spain) for kayaking activities. The sample was composed of 511 tourists who kayaked in the Valle del Jerte. Gender differences were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test in continuous variables and Pearson's chi-square test in categorical variables. The predominant profile of the kayaking tourist is Spanish, married, employed, with university education, lives with their partner with children at home, chooses a rural home for accommodation, travels with companions, uses their own car for transportation, spends 550 euros on average, has good perceptions of the economic impact of the activity on the destination and is satisfied with the kayak service received. This information is relevant for public and private organizations as well as for the local community to be able to offer services more oriented to the tourist who engages in these activities, as well as to attract more tourists.

Understanding the Predictors of Economic Politics on Elite Sport: A Case Study from Spain

Sport federations (NSFs) are the main promoters of sport at a national level. Their complex management involves coordinating relations with private entities, public administrations, and international organisations. Therefore, the economic situation of a country and its sport support policies have significant influences on the achievement of the NSFs' objectives and, therefore, on their sustainability and influence on an active population. This study analyses the determinants of the financial performance of 59 Spanish sport federations (SSFs), 28 Olympic and 31 non-Olympic, based on the relationship between the funding received and their international results during the period from 2007 to 2019 (both years included). The preliminary data analysis included an examination of the missing data, and a t-test was used to compare Olympic and non-Olympic sport federations regarding different variables related to their resources and results. In addition, multiple linear regressions identified the possible predictors of the financing of sport federations and were separately performed for Olympic and non-Olympic federations. The results showed that SSFs were able to maintain their results in the face of decreasing resources. In addition, Olympic SSFs were found to be less dependent on public funding than non-Olympic SSFs for competitive results. This is evidence of a paradigm shift in the management of Spanish federated sports, evolving towards a model that is less dependent on the state, more efficient, and therefore more sustainable.