Sports Tourism Marketing and Sustainable Rural Development (Case Study: Rural Areas of Iran)

Purpose: Although sports tourism helps the livelihood and well-being of tourist areas by providing economic opportunities, irresponsible tourism development can have many negative consequences for tourism purposes. Little attention has been paid to the sustainability of the sport, and it is necessary to be aware of the effects of this sector on sustainable development. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the sports tourism marketing and sustainable rural development. Methods: The research method is qualitative content analysis. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 prominent sports management professors until reaching the Theoretical saturation. The constant comparison method was used for data analysis during open and axial coding stages. Results: Findings showed the main factors that hinder the improvement of sports tourism in Iran include political, legal, human resources, social-cultural, health, informational, and communication factors in the Sports tourism marketing and sustainable rural development of Iran. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, the sports tourism marketing and sustainable rural developmen in Iran also need to use sports capacities which include the environmental capacities of sports, sports entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurs. Applying the strategies of policy-making, management, planning, and marketing in infrastructures about religious and social participation and financial and support considerations can lead to the emergence of sustainable consequences for the livelihood of local communities.