| ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SPORTS TOURISM INDUSTRY OF GOLESTAN PROVINCE |
| Paper ID : 1601-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
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maryam hosseini asgarabadi1, Bahman Tayebi *2 1Assistant Professor of Sport Science Department, Human and Social Sciences Faculty, University, Gorgan, Iran 2Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: The diversity of the tourism industry and the growing growth of sports have led to sports being recognized as a major activity and pillar in the tourism industry from the perspective of tourists(Fernández-Martínez, 2022). The present study aimed to study and identify entrepreneurial opportunities in the sports tourism industry of Golestan province. Methods: The present applied research was qualitative and conducted using the grounded theory method with the Strauss and Corbin approach. The research participants were sports club managers, university sports management professors, and active individuals in the tourism sector of Golestan province, 14 of whom were selected using a criterion-based purposive sampling method. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview, whose reliability, transferability, dependability, and verifiability indices were evaluated, and with the help of the stability index, the percentage of agreement (test-retest reliability) was calculated to be 89%. The data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Results: The results of the research showed that the entrepreneurial opportunities of the sports tourism industry in Golestan Province include the following dimensions: nature-based recreational and sports centers (creating appropriate welfare and recreational facilities, teaching sports disciplines in nature), Specific sports activities (providing standard equipment for specific sports, providing care and treatment services for participants), Ecotourism and camping accommodations (designing and building native and traditional accommodations and camping in nature, cooking local and traditional food for participants), Educational activities (holding outdoor sports workshops, career and entrepreneurial consulting in the sports industry). Conclusion: Based on this, it can be concluded that for entrepreneurial development in the field of sports tourism in Golestan Province, in addition to developing natural sports infrastructure, conditions must be provided for the presence of all groups and categories with different physical conditions to engage in sports. |
| Keywords |
| Entrepreneurial, Tourism, Sports Tourism, Golestan Province |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
