Designing the Structural Model of the Role of Sport Tourism Development in Attracting Spectators Using the Mediating Role of Advertising in Wrestling Events (Case Study: Professional League of Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling)

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of sport tourism development in attracting spectators through the mediating role of advertising in the wrestling events. This study used a mix method and was developmental applied in terms of goals and a field study. The statistical population included the members of Sports Tourism Commission of National Olympic Committee, heads of the Wrestling Federation, Sport and Youth Ministry and of the National Olympic Committee in the qualitative part, as well as the spectators who participated in the final competitions of the wrestling professional league in the quantitative part. It must be noted that these two parts of the statistical population were selected by convenience sampling method. In order to collect data, researcher-made questionnaires were used as their face and construct validity as well as their reliability were identified and confirmed. The results of this study using the structural equation modeling showed that sport tourism development (direct impact factor=β=0.87) had a positive and significant effect on spectator attraction, but the direct impact factor of advertisements had no significant effects on the spectator attraction (β= -0.013). Also, the indirect significant effect of sport tourism development on the spectator attraction was not observed and advertising does not play a mediating role.