1Aleksander Moisiu University, Faculty of Business, Durres, Albania
Can Sport Events Reduce Tourism Seasonality? Evidence from an Emerging Coastal Destination
J. Anthr. Sport Phys. Educ. 2026, 10(3), 35-39 | DOI: 10.26773/jaspe.260705
Abstract
Sport events are increasingly considered strategic tools for destination marketing and tourism diversification. Tourism seasonality remains a persistent structural challenge for coastal destinations, where visitor arrivals are concentrated within a limited number of peak months. This study examines tourism seasonality patterns in Albania and explores whether sports events can help reduce seasonal concentration in tourism demand. The analysis is based on monthly tourism data for the period 2018–2025, comprising 96 observations of visitor arrivals and overnight stays in accommodation establishments. Descriptive statistics were used to identify seasonal patterns, while a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tested whether tourism demand differs across months. Additionally, an independent-samples t-test examined differences between months that hosted major sports events and nonevent months. The findings reveal a pronounced seasonal pattern, with international visitor arrivals peaking in July and August and significantly lower during the winter months. ANOVA results indicate statistically significant variation across months (Welch ANOVA: F(11, 32.7) = 3.85, p = 0.001), confirming strong tourism seasonality. However, no statistically significant difference was found between event and non-event months (t(94) = −0.064, p = 0.949). The findings indicate that sport events held in shoulder seasons are not associated with statistically significant changes in international tourism demand. This suggests that participation-based sport events, at their current scale, have limited capacity to influence mobility patterns. From a sport science perspective, the results highlight the importance of event scale and integration within broader sport systems in shaping seasonal tourism dynamics.
Keywords
tourism seasonality, sport tourism, tourism demand, seasonal variation, Albania
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