مهرزاد حمیدی

With the expansion of digital technologies, digital marketing has become a vital tool in attracting sports tourists. This research was conducted in 2024 with the aim of identifying and prioritizing the consequences of digital marketing in sports tourism using the interpretive structural modeling method. The present study was applied and carried out with a mixed approach (qualitative-quantitative) and using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) method. In the qualitative stage, thematic analysis was used using library studies and semi-structured interviews with 13 experts in sports tourism, marketing, and researchers in these two fields. In the quantitative stage, 15 experts were selected purposively and data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire. In the qualitative section, 55 basic themes and 10 organizing themes were identified, which were centered around the overarching theme of "Consequences of Digital Marketing in Sports Tourism." The results of the quantitative section showed that these outcomes were categorized into four levels, with the main foundations at the first level. Infrastructure development, as the most influential level, directly affected the third level criteria (tourism economic development, tourist behavioral and attitudinal development, and tourism destination awareness). By presenting an Interpretive Structural Model (ISM), this study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the outcomes of digital marketing in sports tourism, which can assist managers and policymakers in areas such as marketing strategies, resource allocation, and competitive policymaking. To date, the development of a hierarchical and leveled model of digital marketing outcomes in sports tourism using the ISM method has received limited attention in this field.

Purpose: Considering the importance of sports service small businesses in creating a competitive advantage in this field, the present research was conducted with the aim of providing a framework of analyzing the effective factors on the success of small businesses of sports service. Methodology: This research in terms of purpose was applied and in terms of implementation method was qualitative. The statistical population of the current study was all active managers and experts in small businesses of sports services, which number of 16 people of them were selected as a sample according to the principle of theoretical saturation and with the purposive sampling method. The tool of the current research was a semi-structured interview, which its validity was confirmed by triangulation method and its reliability was obtained by Cohen's kappa coefficient method 0.803 and the data obtained from its implementation were analyzed by open, axial and selective coding method in MAXQDA software. Findings: The findings showed that for the effective factors on the success of small businesses of sports service were identified 81 indicators, 23 components and 8 dimensions. The dimensions were included environmental (with three components of government support, legal environment and competitive environment), business plan (with three components of capital, information and work force), organization (with two components of suitability of job and employee and business institutional relations), marketing and information (with three components of marketing plans, networking and market orientation), financial affairs and facilities (with four components of budget, economic fluctuations, infrastructure and equipment and facilities), innovation (with three components of innovation in management, innovation in services and innovation in process), models consumption of sports services (with two components of consumption behavior and purchase patterns) and consequences of business success (with three components of commercialization, branding and sports participation). Finally, the pattern of the framework of analyzing the effective factors on the success of small businesses of sports service was drawn. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the success of small businesses of sports service depends on many factors. Therefore, in order to achieve success in small businesses of sports service, it is possible to provide the basis for improving the identified indicators, components and dimensions in the current research.