How to make a career in leisure: The case of the professionals of the outdoor sport tourism

Our research is interested by the career of the professionals of the outdoor sport. More exactly, we try to comprehend processes of creation and development of companies of this sector. Indeed, as mention it many authors, these last ones have difficulties in their economic growth, owed for example to a lack of skills of the professionals in the sector of the management.

For this study, we realized fifty three semi directive interviews and ethnographical observations of companies in the department of Aveyron (Aveyron is a rural department situated in the South of France).

First of all, the meditative data show that the career of the professionals classically consists of three stages. Indeed, before they become manager of a small company of sport tourism, the professionals were, at first, passionate followers of outdoor sports, and then, sport instructors.

Moreover, our analysis reveals that, although the passion constitutes the main lever to create a company of outdoor sport tourism, it becomes an obstacle to the long-lasting development of businesses. The actors indeed have to diversify their skills and their networks beyond the sports sphere, in the sector of management, by the intermediary, for example, of trainings or work experiences.