Supply and demand analysis of aquatic activities programmes. proposal of the Yecla town council (Murcia)

Analysis of supply and demand of aquatic activities programmes. proposal of the city council of Yecla (Murcia)

Abstract

Background: It is clear that physical activity in the aquatic environment is defined as one of the most popular according to the latest advances in the analysis of the demand for sport among the Spanish population. However, it is also true that it is necessary to investigate which orientation is the most appropriate in terms of the supply of these activities, according to what may or may not be of interest to our population, in order to be able to foresee future needs and to be able to offer a quality service.

Objectives: The main objective of this research has been to identify these interests in order to present a proposal for activities in the aquatic environment aimed at satisfying the needs of the entire group present in the city of Yecla, analysing the context in relation to the supply and demand of the aquatic activities established in the town.

Method: Using two tools created specifically for each group, according to the level of participation in aquatic programmes offered by the local body, aspects such as satisfaction, sporting habits, activities of interest and their timetable preferences, motivations towards practice and some teaching and management aspects related to the services provided and those that could be taken up are analysed.

Results: Numerous results were found in which it is worth highlighting that the activities most in demand are mainly aquatic fitness, and educational and therapeutic swimming as the activities with the greatest preferential inclination, as well as three marked time slots of interest for attending these activities, which take place from Monday to Thursday, as they determine. As for the reasons that lead them to practice these activities, health stands out in the first place, followed by the development of skills and belonging to a social group, leaving physical appearance and social approval as the factors least appreciated by this group, not very different from the reasons that lead them to practice any other type of activity. The elements with the highest levels of satisfaction appear to be those related to the staff of the facility, with the changing rooms being the lowest rated in terms of the degree of conformity with everything analysed. Small differences are found in terms of sex, age and level of studies, such as a lower score recorded in different variables the higher the level of education, or variations in the reasons for practising according to the age considered.

Conclusions: On the basis of these results, some indications are put forward for drawing up a programme of aquatic activities adjusted to the current interest of the population, suggesting attending to the deficiencies detected and improving the service in those aspects that remain uncovered, such as evaluation and teaching planning, rectifying the problems detected in the facility, the orientation that can be given to the time slots, the type of activities and the approach to which they should be directed.

Keywords: Satisfaction, service quality, aquatic activities, aquatic programmes, supply and demand, practice interests.