Y.A. Karvunis¹
Dr.Med., Professor L.V. Kapilevich^{1, 2
1}National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk
²National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk

Keywords: sport and health tourism, team building, safety.

Background. Domestic travel activities on the whole and their active forms in particular have been showing a stable growth in the Russian Federation for the last few years both in the individual and corporate travel service forms [6]. It was the growing popularity of healthy lifestyle and physical activity in the young people’s subcultures that has given a boost to the sport tourism service sector development process [3]. It should be noted that the growing demand for active tourism brings to the forefront a number of challenges, with a top priority to be given to the professional and prudent approach to the sport tourism team building process [2, 5].

Modern special tourism literature gives little if any information to the sport tourism teaming methods and concepts. It is clear that the group interaction and cooperation is to be designed with due consideration for a variety of psychological and physiological aspects plus actual fitness levels of the group members for success and safety of the sport trekking events and for due satisfaction of the recreational, sporting and health-improvement expectations of the groups [4].

Objective of the study was to assess contributions of different team building factors in the overall safety of the sport tourism.

Methods and structure of the study. The first part of our study was designed to mine and analyse the statistical data reported by the Tomsk region government on the local tourism and excursions related accidents for the last 3 years; plus the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations reports on the reasons for accidents on the tourist routes.

In the second part of the study, we analysed the fitness levels of the group members versus their expectations from the events plus the reported satisfaction rates versus their individual recreational, sporting, educational and social needs and agendas. Subject to the questionnaire survey were the 18-30 year-old members (n=27) of the student sport tourism clubs of Tomsk city in autumn 2016. The survey included the following two components: one for a few days prior to the tourist event, and the other right after the event.

Study results and discussion. As reported by the Ministry for Emergency Situations Regional Office as of 2016, the key reasons for accidents in the recreational zones of active tourism and sports were the following: negligent attitude to prior registration of the groups with the relevant rescue service offices; shortage of due information on the route; poor fitness levels for success on the route; malfunctions of the radio communication sets and special equipment; unawareness of the weather conditions on the route; swimming at undisclosed locations; disregard to the warning signage on the route; overestimation of own abilities and physicality; abuse of alcohol; wrong decisions made in critical situations; single touring; and inattention on the move [1].

Furthermore, the statistical data analysis gave the following numbers of fatal accidents per 10,000 tourists: 4 in walking tours; 5 in skiing tours; 15 in water tours; and 24 in mountaineering tours [1].

The second component of the study generated the following tourist's fitness data: 55.5% of the group members do not have formal sport tourism qualifications; 11.1% are qualified Class III Tourists; 22.2% Class II and 11.1% Class I Tourists. These data are indicative of the inconsistent group compositions with only about half of the groups having formal tourism sport qualifications. In the physical fitness self-rating, 66.7% of the respondents reported being basically fit; 25.9% being at sport excellence stage; and 7.1% rated their fitness as primary. Only 55.6% of the respondents reported being familiar with the local conditions of the routes; and 59.2% reported being fairly skilled in map material processing.

The question of how well the tourists are aware of the group composition was responded as follows: 70.3% reported being well aware of the group composition; 29.6% partially aware; 62.9% reported being fully informed on the corporate and individual organisers of the tours; and 33.3% reported being partially informed on the tour organisers. These data are indicative of the tourist group members being differently informed on the group composition prior to the tour.

To obtain the motivation rates of the tourist groups, we analysed the tourist activity goals reported by the respondents at the first stage of the questionnaire survey, with each respondent encouraged to indicate a few key goals of the individual participation in the tours. The survey data analysis showed that the most important motivating factor reported by 77.8% of the respondents was the opportunity to meditate in the natural environment and learn local natural attractions. The second important motivation for the tourists (reported by 66.7% of the sample) was the opportunity to master survival skills in the natural conditions and test themselves by the hardships. Mentioned third by 55.6% of the respondents was the opportunity to master sport obstacles overcoming skills. The recreational and socialising purposes were mentioned high by 44.4% of the respondents. Furthermore, 33.3% of the respondents gave a high priority to the opportunity to excel their tourist skills and abilities and train beginner peers. And 11.1% of the respondents emphasised the opportunity to get ready for the higher-difficulty-level touring events. Our analysis of the survey data gave the grounds to conclude that the reported motivations for the respondents’ participation in the tourist events were much the same in many aspects; and on the whole tourist groups are normally formed by young people with largely the same goals dominated by the recreational and sporting agendas.

Given on Figure 1 hereunder are the ranked final impressions from the tours.

Figure 1. Ranked impressions of the respondents from the tours, on a 10-point scale

Having analysed the results of tours as rated by the reported impressions upon completion of the tours, we arrived at conclusions on the team building success of every group under the survey and identified the key interpersonal problems of the groupmates. On the whole, most of the tourists reported being satisfied with the tours, with only a few people reporting some unhappiness with the group leaders or group compositions. Neither serious problems nor accidents were reported on completion of the tours.

Conclusion. A professional and theoretically grounded tourist group building concept giving a high priority to the psychological, motivational and other individual traits of active tourist group members will be beneficial in scaling down the exposure to emergency situations, conflicts and accidents. We believe that this concept makes it possible for a tourist group to become a perfect team; successfully address the individual goals and problems of the group members; take full advantage of the tour for the group goals being attained; and give every opportunity for the groups to satisfy their recreational needs and achieve their sporting goals.

References

1. Official site of Siberian Regional Center of EMERCOM of Russia: Tourist Information. Available at: http://siberian.mchs.ru/
2. Kalashnikova T.V., Krakovetskaya I.V., Danilova N.E. Upravlenie razvitiem fizicheskoy kultury i sporta: finansovy aspekt [Physical culture and sport industry development management: financial perspective]. Teoriya i Praktika Fizicheskoy Kultury, no. 2, 2016, pp. 100-103.
3. Karvunis J.A., Kapilevich L.V. Sostoyanie i perspektivy razvitiya aktivnogo turizma v molodezhnoy srede Tomskoy oblasti [State and Prospects of Development of Active Tourism among Youth of Tomsk Region]. Teoriya i Praktika Fizicheskoy Kultury, 2014, no. 10, pp. 62-65.
4. Karvunis J.A., Kapilevich L.V. Aktivny turizm kak perspektivnaya forma rekreatsii studencheskoy molodezhi v kanikulyarnom periode [Active tourism as promising form of recreation for students on vacation]. Teoriya i Praktika Fizicheskoy Kultury, 2015, no. 11,
5. Karvunis J.A., Kapilevich L.V. Spetsifika fizkulturno-ozdorovitelnykh i rekreatsionnykh programm v sisteme detsko-yunosheskogo turizma [Specificity of fitness and recreational programs in children and youth tourism]. Teoriya i Praktika Fizicheskoy Kultury, 2016, no. 2, P. 86-87.
6. Neretina T.G. Orekhova T.F., Ovsyannikova E.A., Klevesenkova S.V. Opyt razvitiya studencheskogo dosugovo-ozdorovitelnogo turizma [Students' health and recreation tourism promotion experience]. Teoriya i Praktika Fizicheskoy Kultury, 2016, no. 8, pp. 41-43.

Corresponding author: kapil@yandex.ru

Abstract

Fast growth of active forms of tourism is associated with a variety of challenges, and one of them is the tourist group building approach. A prudent tourist group building approach may be pivotal in the efforts to prevent emergency situations, conflicts and accidents and facilitate good team spirit and teamwork, with effective solutions being found both for individual group members' problems and hardships faced by the tourist group on the whole, so that the individual recreational needs and sport goals of the group members are effectively satisfied and attained.

Objective of the study was to assess contributions of different team building factors in the overall safety of sport tourism. We obtained and analysed data on the fitness levels of the group members and their expectations in trekking events. Subject to the questionnaire survey were the 18-30 year-old members (n=27) of the student sport tourism clubs of Tomsk city in autumn of 2016.

We believe that a professional and theoretically grounded tourist team building concept giving a high priority to mental, motivational and other individual traits of active tourist group members will be beneficial in scaling down the exposure to emergency situations, conflicts and accidents in the trekking events.