Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 PhD student, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
Abstract
The aim of the current research was to simulate the effect of integrated marketing communications on the attraction of sports tourists in Ardabil province. This study is done from the point of view of the goal of an exploratory research that is mixed with the research method and based on comparative-inductive reasoning. The statistical population of the research included 15 theoretical experts and experimental experts. Sampling was a non-probability and purposeful method, and the data collection tools were interviews and questionnaires. In the qualitative section, the main and subcategories of integrated marketing communication tools were identified using the theme analysis method. Then, in the quantitative part, the criteria obtained from the qualitative analysis of the research were prioritized using the fuzzy Delphi method. Finally, the effect of integrated marketing communication on the attraction of sports tourists was simulated using the factor-based modeling approach. The analysis of the research data was done in the qualitative phase with Maxqda20 software and in the quantitative phase with Excel and AnyLogic software. Based on the research results, 22 primary codes, 14 sub-themes and 5 main themes were counted. The results showed that among the tools of integrated marketing communication, the effectiveness of advertising is higher than other tools, and direct marketing, face-to-face sales, sales promotion and public relations are in the next ranks of influence. Also, the output of the simulation showed that the presented model can provide an appropriate estimate of the future of attracting sports tourists in Ardabil province.
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