Identifying the Characteristics of Place Attachment by Sports Tourists

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of physical education, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

10.22098/rsmm.2023.11996.1184

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to identify and prioritize the attachment characteristics of the place among sport tourists from the viewpoint of sports experts. Methods: The research strategy in this study was in the qualitative stage of thematic analysis and at a quantitative survey stage. The aim of using the qualitative research approach in this study was to identify and explain the potential causative networks of the phenomenon, and the purpose of using the quantitative research approach was to prioritize and determine the importance of attachment characteristics to the location. The statistical population in both qualitative (16 sample) and quantitative (51 sample) stages included scientific and executive experts in the field of tourism and sport tourism. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data in the qualitative stage and network analysis was used in the quantitative stage.

Results: The results showed that functional dimension, emotional dimension, location dependency and location identity were the main components of attachment to the place among tourists.

Conclusion: Maintain and sustain sporting enthusiasts, tourism activists should pay attention to the value and meaning of the destination in the eyes of the visitor and prioritize it. These values and meanings can increase and sustain the strong sense of place and attachment. When attachment to a place formed, visits from a sports site increase, as the hobbyists differentiate fewer sites as suitable alternatives.

Keywords

Research in Sport Management and Marketing

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 October 2023

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