Women’s dropout from sports practice remains a persistent challenge despite growing participation in sports tourism activities. Transformative Sport Tourism Theory (TSTT) suggests that challenging and meaningful sport experiences may foster empowerment and long-term adherence. Objective: This study aimed to analyze how transformative sports tourism experiences contribute to women’s empowerment and retention in sports practice by examining the interplay between intrinsic motivation, experience quality, perceived benefits, social support, group identification, and prior empowerment. Method: A quantitative design was applied to a sample of 491 hotel employees from the Ecostar database (1,200 hotels). Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Multi-Group Analysis (MGA) to compare Adventure/Risk-Based and Wellness/Active Leisure contexts. Results: Experience quality emerged as the strongest predictor, significantly influencing intrinsic motivation, perceived benefits, social support, and retention. Intrinsic motivation directly predicted retention, while group identification and social support reinforced adherence pathways. Multi-group analysis revealed that Adventure/Risk contexts strengthened motivational mechanisms, whereas Wellness contexts emphasized relational support. Conclusions: Transformative sports tourism experiences can function as structured empowerment environments that promote sustained sports participation among women. Retention emerges from the interaction of motivational, relational, and experiential factors, with context shaping the dominant pathway to long-term engagement.
INTEGRATING MORAL SUSTAINABILITY INTO HOTEL MANAGEMENT: A PATHWAY TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH LAUDATO SI
Sustainability in the hotel industry extends far beyond regulatory compliance or operational efficiency (Robina-Ramírez et al., 2022); it represents a...
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