Strategy for Sports Tourism to Enhance Tourist Attractions in HengYang City

Abstract

The research purposes of this study are (1) To examine Hengyang’s sports tourism current status; (2) To develop sports tourism strategies for enhancing the city’s tourist appeal; (3) To verify the feasibility of these strategies. This study adopted R&D methods, collecting data through documentary analysis, questionnaires and interviews, with questionnaires and interview forms as core tools. The author surveyed 384 tourists for quantitative data, interviewed 15 key informants for qualitative data, then conducted descriptive statistics on quantitative data, content analysis on qualitative data, SWOT analysis for data integration, TOWS matrix for strategy formulation, and connoisseurship with 9 experts for strategy validation.

The results indicate that HengYang’s sports tourism development presents 8 strengths, 8 weaknesses, 7 opportunities, and 8 threats. Key advantages include abundant natural and cultural resources, policy support, and a solid foundation of sports and tourism facilities, while major constraints involve product homogeneity, limited brand influence, and shortages of professional talent. Based on the SWOT–TOWS analysis, 4 SO, 4 ST, 4 WO, and 3 WT strategies were finalized, focusing on resource integration, product innovation, ecological protection, service optimization, and talent cultivation. Expert evaluation confirms that these strategies are feasible and well aligned with Hengyang’s development conditions, providing practical guidance for the sustainable and high-quality development of sports tourism in the HengYang city.

The research purposes of this study are (1) To examine Hengyang’s sports tourism current status; (2) To develop sports tourism strategies for enhancing the city’s tourist appeal; (3) To verify the feasibility of these strategies. This study adopted R&D methods, collecting data through documentary analysis, questionnaires and interviews, with questionnaires and interview forms as core tools. The author surveyed 384 tourists for quantitative data, interviewed 15 key informants for qualitative data, then conducted descriptive statistics on quantitative data, content analysis on qualitative data, SWOT analysis for data integration, TOWS matrix for strategy formulation, and connoisseurship with 9 experts for strategy validation.

The results indicate that HengYang’s sports tourism development presents 8 strengths, 8 weaknesses, 7 opportunities, and 8 threats. Key advantages include abundant natural and cultural resources, policy support, and a solid foundation of sports and tourism facilities, while major constraints involve product homogeneity, limited brand influence, and shortages of professional talent. Based on the SWOT–TOWS analysis, 4 SO, 4 ST, 4 WO, and 3 WT strategies were finalized, focusing on resource integration, product innovation, ecological protection, service optimization, and talent cultivation. Expert evaluation confirms that these strategies are feasible and well aligned with Hengyang’s development conditions, providing practical guidance for the sustainable and high-quality development of sports tourism in the HengYang city.