محمدرسول خدادادی

Sports tourism is one of the key areas of economic and social development that can contribute to cultural transformation and the improvement of international interactions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explain the model of factors influencing the demand for sports tourism in Iraq. The present research is applied in nature, employing a qualitative research method based on grounded theory with the Glaserian approach. The statistical population of the study consisted of professors and experts in sports management, tourism, and sports tourism, managers of tourism agencies, and Ph.D. researchers in sports management. The sample was selected from among the population members using purposive and snowball sampling methods. To gather the necessary information for the research, document study and interviews were employed, and the interviews for this study were conducted from September to December 2023. The research tool was semi-structured interviews with 15 experts, which continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The validity of the research was confirmed by relevant experts, and the reliability was achieved through the intra-subject agreement method, reaching 74%. The results of the study showed that economic dynamism, tourism management, sports events, social and cultural transformation, tourism challenges and opportunities, economic, managerial, political, social, and cultural functions, information technology, and environmental factors were the 11 key categories influencing the demand for sports tourism in Iraq. In this regard, attention to the factors influencing the demand for sports tourism in Iraq and effective management of these factors can help increase the number of sports tourists and contribute to the sustainable development of this industry in the country. Accordingly, the present study introduces a comprehensive model of the factors influencing the demand for sports tourism in Iraq, and the implementation of these strategies can contribute to Iraq’s economic and social growth, positioning the country as a model for sustainable sports tourism development in the region.