From the circuit to the territory: tribal mobility and creation of value for the destination in the MotoGP-Ducati case

Purpose - Motorsport events generate large visitor flows and destination experiences that extend beyond the circuit. This exploratory single-case study examines how an organised brand community transforms MotoGP-related travel into a collective, ritualised and spatially distributed practice, and how this practice activates perceived and practice-based pathways of destination value rather than directly measuring economic impact. Design/methodology/approach - The study adopts an interpretive case-study design focused on Ducati Official Club (D.O.C.) members. Data were collected through participant observation during World Ducati Week 2024 and the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, 23 semi-structured interviews with D.O.C. members, and supporting documentary evidence from public Facebook pages/groups and motorcycling forums. Thematic analysis was combined with within-case descriptive indicators derived from the research database; these indicators are used only to contextualise recurrence within the case and are not inferential statistics. Originality/value - The article sharpens the concept of tribal mobility, defined as a brand-mediated process through which community practices coordinate routes, social encounters, symbolic consumption and place meanings around sport events. The contribution is not simply that Ducati fans travel to MotoGP events, but that an organised brand community can operate as a social infrastructure linking sport passion, event participation and destination value pathways. Practical implications - The results suggest that destinations may enhance the value captured from major sporting events by co-designing itineraries and touchpoints with brand communities, facilitating safe social spaces and waypoints, and integrating local routes, gastronomy and heritage into branded experiences. The paper also stresses the need for destination governance and risk management, including traffic, parking, noise, resident well-being and sustainable motorcycle mobility.