ABSTRACT
This investigation presents a case study on the influence of the tourist impact that the car race World Touring Car Cup (WTCR), in the Vila Real International Circuit, has on the city, a place traditionally known for its Cultural Tourism. In fact, after the Troika Crisis, and until the COVID pandemic emerged, Portugal was experiencing a boom in Tourism, particularly on the coast and in cities like Porto, Lisbon, Cascais, or Braga. Aware of this situation, the cities of the countryside start defining strategies to take advantage of this favorable wave for tourism, opting for areas where they would have more diversity offer. Given this, it is proposed Cultural and Sport Tourism as the best options for Vila Real city. Thus, it was decided to understand the connection that sport has with tourism and culture. For this purpose, the case study methodology and quantitative technics were used, for a better understanding of the connection of the concepts, in the perception of the public that traveled to the city to watch the races and the event in general, as well as the public that obligatorily attended the races for living in the city and/or on the circuit route and those audiences who watch the event via online transmission. It is intended, therefore, to understand the dimension of the Cultural and Sports Tourism that is experienced in the city, attending its social, cultural, and economic impacts, and if it has been rising according to the growth of the event and its internationality. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.