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Studies show that hosting of event is an important tourism strategy of island destinations, as it has the potential to boost the marketability of a declining tourism industry and can contribute to the attractiveness of destinations and satisfaction level of visitors. In contrast, Martinique, a French overseas territory island, has not been successful in capitalising on this form of tourism. To develop a deeper understanding on this viewpoint, the focus of this study will be on 'Le Tour de Yoles de la Martinique', a traditional boat race going round Martinique. Empirical in nature, the study will seek to address a number of research questions directed towards the viability of 'Le tour des Yoles de la Martinique' as a sustainable tool for the development of Martinique Tourism. The point of force of this study is that it operationalises the Blakeley Model in conjunction with the Visser Model. Therein lies the contribution of the study. The application of the Blakeley-Visser Model has helped in identifying the blind spots and in unlocking changes to better promote this form of tourism. The empirical evidences suggest that in order to re-position 'Le tour des Yoles de la Martinique' into a major tourism event, the Martinique DMO needs to provide support directed towards training of event managers and sponsorship and media strategies need to be devised. The overall conclusion of the study is that, sport event, if appropriately managed and marketed, can be an important driving force in the re-positioning of tourism industries and promotion of island destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]