Sport Events as Catalysts for Tourism Development in Ethiopia: An Exploratory Study of Opportunities and Challenges

Sport events are increasingly recognized as potential catalysts for tourism development, destination promotion, local economic activity, and community engagement. However, the extent to which these opportunities are strategically leveraged in developing tourism destinations remains insufficiently understood in Ethiopia. This study examined the opportunities and challenges associated with using sport events as catalysts for tourism development in Ethiopia. An exploratory mixed-methods design was employed across five cities: Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Hawassa, Adama, and Dire Dawa. Quantitative data were collected from 384 respondents using a structured questionnaire measuring ten constructs related to sport-event tourism development. Qualitative evidence was obtained through 25 key informant interviews and six focus group discussions involving sport, tourism, government, hospitality, community, and academic stakeholders. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings indicate substantial perceived potential for sport-event tourism development. Strategic Event Leveraging recorded the highest mean score (M = 4.12), followed by Visitor Attraction (M = 3.92) and Destination Promotion and Branding (M = 3.84). In contrast, Institutional Coordination and Governance recorded the lowest mean (M = 2.88), while Infrastructure and Accessibility also remained relatively low (M = 3.10). Significant differences were observed across the five cities for all ten constructs (p ≤ .005). The regression model explained 61.6% of the variance in Strategic Development (R² = .616, p < .001), with Strategic Event Leveraging showing the strongest unique positive association (β = .418, p < .001). Qualitative findings reinforced a potential–implementation gap, highlighting institutional fragmentation, infrastructure constraints, limited cross-sector packaging, and uneven community benefits. The study concludes that Ethiopia’s challenge is not simply to host more sport events, but to strategically connect events with tourism resources, destination markets, local economies, communities, and long-term development objectives.