A study to determine the sports tourism potential of Bolu

In recent years, the way people holiday has begun to change. This change has led to different types of tourism gaining importance. Tourism investments are now also planned according to these new areas of interest. Sports tourism is one of the most prominent of these alternative types of tourism. The fact that tourists travelling for sporting purposes spend more than other tourists also increases interest in this area. Developed countries, particularly in the US and Europe, are making significant investments in sports tourism and reaping substantial profits from this sector. Turkey, on the other hand, is one of the few countries suitable for both summer and winter sports tourism, thanks to its four seasons and favourable geographical and climatic conditions. Despite this, it is evident that our sports tourism potential is not being fully utilised. Developing new sports tourism areas is crucial for increasing tourism revenues. The aim of this research is to reveal Bolu's potential in terms of sports tourism. To this end, a qualitative research method consisting of semi-structured interviews was used. The questions to be asked in the interviews were reviewed and finalised with the evaluation of three academics. Using snowball sampling, face-toface interviews were conducted with 13 individuals, and audio recordings were made with the participants' consent. The collected data were evaluated using content analysis and SWOT analysis. As a result, all participants stated that Bolu has high potential in terms of sports tourism. According to the results of Bolu's sports tourism SWOT analysis, the city's three strongest aspects are its geographical location advantage, natural environment and climate conditions, and its reputation as a camping centre. The three weakest aspects were identified as a lack of facilities and hotels, a lack of stakeholder cooperation, and weak promotional efforts. The three most important opportunities that Bolu can capitalise on are the suitable environment for new facility and hotel investments, the growing interest in nature sports, and the constant demand provided by its proximity to large cities. The three biggest threats are the strengthening of rival cities in the field of sports tourism, the potential negative impact of climate change on the sports environment, and the risk of damage to the natural environment.