The Impact of Sports Tourism Industry Types on Economic Sustainability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59994/pau.2026.2.169Keywords:
Tourism, Sports Tourism, Sports Tourism Industry Types, Economic Sustainability, Kingdom of BahrainAbstract
This study aimed to analyze the impact of different types of the sports tourism industry on economic sustainability in light of the Kingdom of Bahrain Vision 2030. The study adopted a descriptive survey approach and used an electronic questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument. The study sample consisted of 144 participants working in the sports and tourism sectors, including a pilot sample of 20 participants and a main sample of 124 participants, selected using a random sampling technique. The findings revealed a clear diversity in the types of the sports tourism industry in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with a notable prominence of recurring small- and medium-scale sporting events, accompanying activities, and regional and international sporting events. Other identified types included training courses, scientific conferences, sports training camps, and sports rehabilitation tourism. The results also indicated that these types contribute to achieving economic sustainability by diversifying income sources, attracting investments, and developing infrastructure. Furthermore, a strong and statistically significant relationship was found between the types of the sports tourism industry and economic sustainability. Based on these findings, the study recommends continuing to support the hosting of sporting events and activities while expanding the implementation of selected types of sports tourism, such as scientific conferences, sports training camps, and sports rehabilitation tourism throughout the year. The study also emphasizes the importance of developing a comprehensive national database to measure the economic and social returns associated with this sector, enhancing investment in sponsorship and advertising channels, improving supporting infrastructure, and encouraging future research to assess the economic impact of different types of the sports tourism industry more accurately. The originality of this study lies in the fact that it is among the few studies that have examined the types of the sports tourism industry and their impact on achieving economic sustainability in light of the Kingdom of Bahrain Vision 2030. It contributes to filling a knowledge gap in the literature and provides a scientific framework that can serve as a foundation for future research.
Downloads
References
Abdollahi, A., Ramezaninezhad, R., & Nasab, M. (2024). The impact of sporting events on sports tourism. Journal of Study and Innovation in Education and Development, 4(3), 136–152.
Aldulaimi, S., Abdeldayem, M., Keir, M., Kharabsheh, R., Muttar, A., & Alazzawi, A. (2024). Decision-making dynamics: Analyzing the economic influence of sports tourism on Bahrain's growing industry. International Conference on Decision Aid Sciences and Applications (DASA), 1–7.
AlKhalifa, H. K., & Collison, H. (2022). Adapting to local context and managing relationships: A case study of a multinational SDP partnership in Bahrain. Journal of Global Sport Management, 7(2), 289–309.
Alsandi, A., Sowaid, J. A., & Alzahli, K. B. (2025). Determinants of strategic agility in sports clubs in the Sultanate of Oman. An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities), 39(9), 695–708.
Al-Shanfari, A. A. M. (2023). Role of tourism activity in achieving economic development in the Sultanate of Oman. Journal of Advances in Agricultural Researches, 28(4), 842–851.
Cheng, M., Zhang, L., Zhang, X., & Li, Y. (2025). Does rural sports tourism promote the sustainable development of the destination? Based on quasi-experimental evidence of sports and leisure towns in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 486, Article 144537.
Crespo Sogas, P., Fuentes Molina, I., Araujo Batlle, À., & Raya Vílchez, J. M. (2021). Economic and social yield of investing in a sporting event: Sustainable value creation in a territory. Sustainability, 13(13), 7033.
Dong, J. (2023). The interaction between sports events and local tourism: A case study of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences, 51(1), 219–229.
Gharibzadeh, M., Safania, A. M., Naghshbandi, S. S., & Farahani, A. (2023). Providing a model for the development of sports tours in the tourism industry. PLOS ONE, 18(5), e0285457.
Idrees, M. A., Bibi, M., Naveed, J., & Khan, A. (2021). Sports tourism and its impact on economic growth of a developing nation. Sustainable Business and Society in Emerging Economies, 3(4), 617–628.
Jeong, Y., Kim, E., & Kim, S. K. (2020). Understanding active sport tourist behaviors in small-scale sports events: stimulus-organism-response approach. Sustainability, 12(19), 8192.
Malchrowicz-Mośko, E., & Poczta, J. (2018). A small-scale event and a big impact—Is this relationship possible in the world of sport? The meaning of heritage sporting events for sustainable development of tourism—Experiences from Poland. Sustainability, 10(11), 4289.
Martins, R., Mascarenhas, M., & Pereira, E. (2024). Exploring strategic multi-leveraging of sport tourism events: An action-research study. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 32, Article 100902.
Mirzaie, S., Salimi, M., & Rahimi Sarshabadrani, G. (2022). The role of sports tourism development in job creation: Providing a model. Journal of New Studies in Sport Management, 3(2), 442–451.
Mohammed, O., Erbao, C., Munir, S., & Elayah, W. (2023). Impact of tourism on sustainable development in Bahrain. International Journal of Business and Economic Affairs, 8(3), 127–135.
Morfoulaki, M., Myrovali, G., Kotoula, K. M., Karagiorgos, T., & Alexandris, K. (2023). Sport tourism as driving force for destinations’ sustainability. Sustainability, 15(3), 2445.
Ramasamy, B., Wu, H., & Yeung, M. (2022). Hosting annual international sporting events and tourism: Formula 1, golf or tennis? Tourism Economics, 28(8), 2082–2098.
Raso, G., & Cherubini, D. (2024). The sport tourism and regional economic development: A systematic review. Scientific Journal of Sport and Performance, 3(1), 108–121.
Rómulo Jacobo, González-García, J., Martínez-Rico, G., Bañuls-Lapuerta, F., & Calabuig, F. (2022). Residents' perception of the impact of sports tourism on sustainable social development. Sustainability, 14(3), 1232.
Sardi, A., Rizzi, A., & Sorano, E. (2025). Economic impact analysis of mega events for sustainable tourism: Insights from the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. Administrative Sciences, 15(2), 35.
Sowaid, J. (2024). The degree of availability of requirements for implementing cybersecurity in sports federations in the Sultanate of Oman. The Scientific Journal of Sport Science & Arts, 76(1), 156–179.
Sowaid, J., & Al-Salawi, A. (2026). The social and cultural impacts of hosting major sporting events. Retos, 81, 482-495.
Sowaid, J., Alsandi, A., Al Qasimi, W., & Bait Saleem, Y. (2025). Attitudes toward hosting sporting events in the Kingdom of Bahrain: Preferences and motivations. International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 13(6), 1246–1254.
Strelnikova, M., Ivanova, R., Skrobotova, O., Polyakova, I., & Shelopugina, N. (2023). Development of inclusive tourism as a means of achieving sustainable development. Journal of Law and Sustainable Development, 11(1), e0273.
Sudarmanto, E., Raharjo, B. B., Kristiyanto, A., Sulaiman, S., Setyawati, H., Priyono, B., & Jariono, G. (2025). A systematic review for the development of sustainable tourism destinations based on sports tourism. Retos, 62, 646–654.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Palestine Ahliya University for Research and Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
مجلة جامعة فلسطين الاهلية للبحوث والدراسات تعتمد رخصة نَسب المُصنَّف 4.0 دولي (CC BY 4.0)
