What Are the Sports Tourism Factors and Potentials in Guilan Province?

Purpose: In recent years, tourism, especially sports tourism, has become a rich source of income in many countries. Therefore, identifying the factors that affect the flourishing of sports tourism in a region is the first step for the progression and development of sports tourism. Methodology: In this study, a researcher-made questionnaire with 94% Cronbach's alpha was used to identify the factors affecting tourism growth in Guilan Province. Twelve professors of sports management confirmed the validity of the questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of 25 cultural heritage experts, 46 sports specialists, and 600 sports tourists. A census was sampling in the first (cultural heritage experts) and second (sports experts) groups. The third group consisted of sports tourists, namely all those who visited Guilan Province to participate in competitions and watch the fajr decade tournament in 2019. The sample number was considered 460 according to similar studies. The questionnaire was submitted to a group of professors and university experts, and its validity was confirmed. SmartPLS software was employed to analyze the data. Findings: The research results showed that aquatic sport in coastal cities could lead to the prosperity of sports tourism in Guilan Province and turn this province into a hub of water sports tourism. To achieve this goal, sports, welfare, transportation infrastructure, and proper advertisements are necessary. Originality: Many studies have been done on affective factors of sports tourism in Guilan province. These researches show that the natural attractions of Guilan province are the priority of sports tourism development in this region. This study shows that attention to water sports effectively promotes sports tourism in Guilan province. It appears that this is the first research to investigate the potentials of sports tourism in Guilan Province of Iran.