ABSTRACT
In the 1980s, the concept of sports tourism appeared in the literature in Europe and in the United States to define a set of practices which were both sports and tourism. Sports tourism is a range of original unusual activities showing ruptures with the usual practices of tourism and sports, yet also a mix of both sports and tourism. Travelling is a direct response to specific aspirations more than an indefinite quest. Sports tourism cannot therefore pretend to a legacy and tradition in the history of holidays, tourism or sports. It does remain quite an obscure product with fuzzy contours and extensible limits, constantly trying to be identified in the galaxy of local or international tourist products. On an international market oscillating between globalization and local retreat, the retrospective study of management and marketing of sports tourism will provide a better understanding of the genesis of contemporary issues and new trends apparently emerging.
