Sport Physiology & Management Investigations

Sport Physiology & Management Investigations

An Analysis of Sports Tourism Development Indicators in Asia: A Comparative Study of Policies in Leading Nations

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Setare Eskandari 1
Sadegh Ranjbar 2
1 PhD in sport management, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran,Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Sport, Cultural heritage and Tourism, Iran's Parliament Research center, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/spmi.2024.471914.2633
Abstract
Sports tourism has the potential to drive social, economic, and environmental initiatives, fostering development and leaving a lasting positive impact. A key strategy for advancing sports tourism is to draw inspiration from leading nations in this field and adapt these models to align with Iranian and Islamic culture. This study examines the policies and laws of four prominent countries—China, Japan, South Korea, and Qatar—regarding sports tourism development, particularly focusing on their experiences with hosting major sporting events as a significant revenue indicator. The analysis revealed that in all four countries, the government is legally mandated to prioritize and support tourism development. Each country has established specific laws aimed at promoting tourism, with a notable emphasis on enhancing sports infrastructure. Additionally, there exists a national framework that facilitates collaboration between the sports and tourism sectors. These nations have also focused on integrating their cultural heritage with sports, and all have successfully hosted a variety of international and national sporting events. The effective use of natural resources has further bolstered their ability to attract tourists. Therefore, in order to develop sports tourism, operational solutions are suggested as follows: developing sports infrastructure and allocating a special budget; Compilation of guidelines for the cooperation of sports organizations with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts by the Ministry in order to promote domestic sports tourism; Holding heritage sports festivals such as Zorkhaneh sports and Chogan (Iranian Polo Sport) at the local, national and regional levels; supporting and expanding activities and sports appropriate to climatic conditions; Compilation of the national sports tourism development plan; Government support for holding national and international events.
Keywords
leisure time
sports tourism
heritage sports
Winter sports
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