The impact of customer experience and involvement on sports tourism destinations through an experiential marketing approach to sports events in Iran.

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 phd student of sport managment - urmia university - iran

2 Urmia Universitysports managments- physical education - urmia university - urmia - iran

3 Assistant Professor of Sports Management Urmia University Faculty of Sports Sciences

10.22034/sms.2025.142026.1403

Abstract

In the era of global competition, sports events are recognized as one of the most significant attractions for attracting tourists.Therefore, this research aims to examine the impact of customer experience and involvement on sports tourism destinations through an experiential marketing approach in Iran, with a focus on the 22nd Asian Men's Volleyball Championship held in Urmia.The research employed a descriptive-correlational methodology and was of an applied nature,with the statistical population comprising customers and sports tourists, managers, sports tourism experts, and university faculty members. A simple random sampling method was used, resulting in a sample size of 370 participants. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires, which were validated for reliability and content by experts, along with confirmatory factor analysis. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and Smart PLS software. The results indicated that the customer involvement component had the highest impact (α=0.567),while customer enthusiasm had the lowest impact (α=0.449) on customer experience. Additionally, the customer awareness component exhibited the highest influence(α=0.414),while customer enthusiasm again showed the lowest influence (α=0.362) on customer identification. Customer experience had a positive and significant effect on behavioral intentions (α=0.516),and customer identification positively affected behavioral intentions(α=0.405).Based on the findings, it is recommended that planners design tourism packages that include diverse sports and recreational activities to attract new customers while retaining existing ones. Furthermore, enhancing the theoretical framework of the research through the introduction of novel models or the adoption of less-explored approaches in experiential marketing and customer experience can deepen analysis and increase innovation in the study.

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Main Subjects

Sports Marketing Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 January 2025

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