Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas

Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas

Feasibility Study of Sports Tourism Development and its Role in the Development of Mountain Villages(A Case Study of Villages of Nagan district Kiar county)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Farkhondeh Hajebi Moghadm 1
Ali akbar Najafi kani 2
Faramarz Barimani 2
1 Department of Geography, University of Mazandaran. Babolsar. Iran.
2 Department of Geography and Rural Planning, University of Mazandaran. Babolsar. Iran.
10.22034/gsma.2025.2069743.1116
Abstract
1. Introduction
Sports is one of the most common factors in motivating tourists. In other words, sports are one of the important activities of tourists while traveling, and tourism and travel are also associated with various types of sports. Today, sports tourism plays an important role in the national economy of countries and is influential in the social and economic development of society, and creates employment, financial turnover, and income in society. Therefore, today, sports activities that are carried out in the natural environment have gained increasing importance and have become a tool for developing and strengthening culture and sports. Sports such as mountaineering, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, paragliding, motocross, mountain biking, off-roading, boating, fishing, diving, jet skiing, nature walks and multi-sports have also become very popular and are known as nature-based sports tourism. The importance of paying attention to nature-based sports tourism is because it can simultaneously have multi-faceted benefits for tourists and locals; on the one hand, it plays an increasing role in promoting aerobic and healthy sports among tourists, and on the other hand, it draws tourists' attention to national assets and world natural heritage; as a result, it will be an incentive to introduce and preserve the environment. Naghan district is home to a series of mountain villages with impressive and pristine natural landscapes. This region has great potential for the development of various types of tourism, especially sports and nature tourism, due to its special topographic location, climate diversity, water resources, high altitudes and diverse vegetation. Among these villages, there are areas with a unique location for the development of adventure and sports tourism that should be given attention by local officials and managers.

2. Methodology
The research method is descriptive-analytical in nature and applied in terms of purpose, and the theoretical foundations of the present study were organized in a documentary manner. Due to the lack of a database related to sports tourism in the mountainous areas of the study area in the responsible organizations, the main data were collected with the help of field studies and the preparation and completion of a researcher-made questionnaire. The questions examined in the present study were arranged on a Likert scale and a five-point scale (very low, low, medium, high and very high). The reliability of the research tool was also obtained using Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the components studied in the study, which was equal to 0.76. The validity of the research or the validity of the questionnaire was also obtained with face validity (using the opinions of specialists and experts) (Table 1). The statistical population of the present study is the heads of households in the villages in the Nagan district of Kiar County. The Cochran formula was used to determine the sample size, and 348 people were selected as the sample population from the 3147 people of the total population of the sample villages and by simple random sampling method. Then, using Phi or Kramers V correlation analysis, Chi-square, Friedman's comparison of means, and one-way analysis of variance, all data were measured and analyzed in the Spss software environment. Also, graphs were drawn using Excel and maps were drawn using GIS software.
Kiar County is one of the counties of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, which is located in a mountainous area. This county is located in the southwest of the province and is bordered by Shahrekord County to the north, Lordegan County to the south, Borujen County to the east, and Ardel County to the west.

3. Results
The results of the Phi test show that there is a significant relationship between tourism attractions and jobs related to that sector and the level of motivation for rural residents to stay, up to a confidence level of 99%. The results of the Friedman mean comparison also show a significant difference in explaining the capacities for the development of sports tourism. Also, the results of the one-way independent variance analysis show a significant difference at 99% in the income of the villages studied. In addition, most of the indicators examined using chi-square correlation analysis show a logical and significant relationship between sports tourism attractions and the development of rural areas.

4. Discussion
The results of the studies show that there is a logical and meaningful relationship between jobs related to the sports tourism sector and the motivation to stay in the sample villages, and usually those who do not have suitable jobs are more inclined to migrate.
The results of this study show that the villages of Jowzistan, Madan, Dareh-e-Eshq, and Gol-e-Safid were in a common group and were at the lowest income level, but the villages of Gol-e-Safid, Dorak, and Doplan were in the highest income group, and the reason for this should be sought in the tourism capabilities and capacities of these villages and the creation of new jobs. Tourism can lead to the growth of complementary jobs, the production of handicrafts, local products, and other side economic activities. And appropriate information systems will play an effective role in this field, and ultimately, the prosperity of sports tourism in the studied villages can have a significant and significant impact on the physical changes and physical development of the studied villages.

5. Conclusion
Sports tourism plays an important role in the economy of countries that have important mountains or mountain ranges. This type of tourism undoubtedly plays a very important role in the social and economic development of communities around the highlands and creates employment related to the sports tourism sector, increases turnover and earns more income, and consequently, sustainable livelihoods of local and rural communities. Given the importance that countries have attached to sports tourism in recent years, there is a greater need to develop sports tourism. Accordingly, paying more attention to this issue in order to achieve sustainable livelihoods and improve the quality of life of rural communities is inevitable.

Author Contributions
In the preparation and writing of this article, all authors (first, second, and third) have contributed. All stages of the research, from study design and data collection to analysis of results and final writing of the article, are the result of collaboration and collective agreement of all authors.

Data Availability Statement
Data available on request from the authors.

Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to everyone who assisted us in conducting this research.

Ethical Considerations
All authors affirm that this research was conducted in accordance with ethical standards, with no data fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism.

Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest
Keywords
Feasibility Study
Sports Tourism
Development
Naghan Sector
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Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas
Volume 7, Issue 1 - Serial Number 25
Spring
Spring 2026
Pages 21-44