Comprehensive Analysis of Sports Tourism Marketing Mix in Guilan Province with 7P's Approach

The purpose of this study was to analyze the strategic combination of sports tourism marketing in Gilan province with a 7 P's approach. The present research is descriptive-analytic in a survey method with a comprehensive approach. 230 managers of sport and tourism organizations, managers of tourism offices, tourism guides and academic experts in the fields of sport and tourism management, as a sample of this research, were convenience non-randomly selected, completed a researcher-made questionnaire composed of 57 valid questions (α=0.792) voluntarily. Using one-sample t-test, the sub-scales related to each of the seven elements of sports tourism marketing in the province were calculated. Also findings from Friedman test showed that the elements of sports tourism marketing mix in this province based on priority were different significantly. The element of price is the highest priority (Mean Rank Price = 4.51) and the process or planning is the lowest priority (Mean Rank Process/Planning = 3.68). Other elements of the sport tourism marketing mix of the province are in order of priority: product or service, place or distribution, physical evidence, people and promotion. The overall conclusion of this research showed that the comprehensive and sustainable development of this industry is the result of a systematic approach and appropriate to all elements of the sports tourism marketing mix.