The role of sports and its impact on the tourism sector

Sajjad Ali Mohsen
Under the supervision of Lect. Dr. Ali Khazal Jawad Al-Kalabi

Sports tourism means participating in various sports or practicing a specific type of sport. The participant may be a player or a spectator. This type of tourism includes those who travel to watch international sports matches, who are an important sector of the total number of tourists. This tourism also includes practicing sports such as fishing trips in specific places and during certain periods of the year, or practicing marine sports or skiing or climbing mountains or participating in or watching tournaments or sports festivals. Tourism is one of the most important major industries in the world at the present time, as its importance has surpassed all old manufacturing industries and services in terms of sales, employment and demand for difficult labor, especially since it has become an industry in its own right with its inputs and outputs.
The tourism sector has become a promising economic sector with varying importance from one country to another, as these countries are now opening new markets in order to continue the tourist flow throughout the year.
Providing tourism programs with distinguished services, appropriate distribution outlets and costly promotion, in order to increase the tourist’s stay and increase the national income by relying on an appropriate promotional mix. Sports tourism is considered one of the most important types of tourism that contribute effectively to activating tourism, whether domestic or foreign, and raising the national economy by holding sports tournaments and competitions that attract large numbers of tourists to participate in these sports tournaments. Sports are not just competitions, but have become a profitable industry, tourism and trade. This type of tourism (sports tourism) has appeared in many countries, especially developed countries with a high standard of living that have sports facilities, including games, tools and other elements of tourism, such as suitable weather for practicing various games and sports, and the appropriate geographical location.