The Role of Media Advertising in the Development of Sports Tourism in Guilan Province of Iran

Background. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of media advertising in the development of sports tourism in Guilan province. Methods. The research method is a descriptive-survey based on the structural equation model (Lisrel). The statistical population of the study was included managers of tourism, sport management professors, managers, and experts of tourism agencies that 362 persons were randomly selected. The instrument was included in a researcher-made questionnaire based on the Likert scale. The questionnaires were distributed among the subjects after the confirmation of the validity and reliability. Results. The results of the study showed that media advertising in sports tourism of Guilan province played the most critical role in the establishment of cultural tourism and the enhancement of the sports economy, the change of attitude in sport tourists’ public opinion, the introduction of attractions for sports tourists’ attraction, the development of tourism infrastructure and services, respectively. The results also showed that media advertising had the least effect on creating a comprehensive program of sports tourism marketing. Conclusion. Therefore, we have to pay attention to advertising and marketing to develop sports tourism due to their role in tourism packages.