Steve Taylor
PhD Candidate
email: staylor@business.otago.ac.nz
PhD Title
Destination Choices for Adventure Sports Participation: a Case Study of Mountain Bikers in New Zealand and the United Kingdom
Supervisors
Dr Anna Thompson and Dr Jan Mosedale
Research Abstract
The aim of my research is to establish how destination decisions are made by people taking part in adventure sports where the locus of control is with the participant. Using mountain biking, an established and expanding adventure sport, as the focus, the research seeks to understand how adventure sports participants choose their destinations, in the expectation that these destinations will fulfil their motivations.
Qualitative research is currently being undertaken on mountain bikers in New Zealand and the UK. Inductive analysis will utilise detailed readings of the raw data to develop a theoretical framework to understand the interplay of these motivational variables.
Theoretical implications for existing adventure sports theory are emerging through the field work, in particular: developing a deeper understanding of the socio-psychological factors that motivate people to participate in adventure sports where the participant is in control of his or her actions; and identifying the important destination characteristics and attributes, and other exogenous variables, that influence destination choices for participation.
Education
1998 – 1999 University of Aberdeen, UK,
Master of Science (with Distinction) Rural and Regional Resources Planning
1993 – 1996 University of Leeds, UK,
Bachelor of Arts (2:1 with Honours) Geography
Publications
none to date
Presentations
none to date
Teaching Experience:
Tutor – Tourist Behaviour, Tourism Transport Management, Ecotourism Operations and Principles and Business of Tourism Management
Hobbies:
Overseas travel, mountain biking, hiking and skiing, literature and wine.