Sports Tourism as a Catalyst for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This study aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of Qatar's sports tourism. The main focus of the study is to analyze the strategies used by Qatar and the results obtained in adopting sustainable practices in the sector. By filling an important gap in the literature, this study will provide insight into the drivers that influence hospitality and sports tourism in Qatar, especially as the country gears up to host the 2022 World Cup. Additionally, the study will provide practical implications as well as future directions for the development of sports tourism both in Qatar and globally. In recent years, tourism has grown significantly and is now one of the main driving forces in global trade. This sector includes a variety of activities, such as tour companies, transportation companies, hotels, entertainment equipment production, handicrafts and sports tourism. Despite this growth, the wealth and development of the tourism sector is still concentrated in a few countries [1].

Tourism is an independent industry that generates economic benefits for host areas by attracting visitors to specific destinations. It contributes to the economic development of countries by generating income through tourism visits and expenditure. It is also a key factor in attracting investors, creating new projects, and supporting infrastructural developments. Tourism also creates employment opportunities in various sectors such as hospitality, entertainment, transport, and local services such as selling archaeological souvenirs, handicrafts, etc. Tourism also promotes cultural exchange, reduces barriers between different communities, and facilitates the acceptance and growth of different societies. According to the World Tourism Organization, by 2020, international tourist arrivals are expected to exceed 1.5 billion, while corresponding expenditures are expected to exceed 2,000 billion euros, reflecting impressive annual growth rates [2].

With the 2022 World Cup just around the corner, it’s essential to understand how Qatar is embracing sustainable practices and aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the world of sports tourism. The goal of this study is to gain a better understanding of Qatar’s approach to sustainable development and how it can be applied to other destinations. This will help bridge the knowledge gap between Qatar and the rest of the world, paving the way for a more sustainable future for the tourism industry. To sum up, this study aims to provide an in-depth look at Qatar’s strategies and how they are embracing sustainable development in the world of tourism. The goal is to contribute to existing literature, present practical implications and provide future direction for the development of the tourism industry in Qatar and across the globe. By understanding the forces that shape hospitality and the world of tourism in Qatar, we can better prepare for the future of the industry.

Sustainability is a substantial concern in this century [3]. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Sports tourism is a new form of tourism that will directly contribute to the country's economic prosperity [4]. As a result of these sports activities, people are more likely to leave their homes to travel to other parts of the country or region where these sports are taking place dramatically increased, resulting in increased travel in the area [5].

Qatar is characterized by many cultural, historical, and natural tourist areas, making it a favorite tourist destination. In addition to performances and artistic activities suitable for all family members and most categories of visitors throughout the year. It is noteworthy that Qatar recently occupied an advanced position in the Middle East among the first eight centers in tourism and travel according to the results of the survey issued by the World Economic Forum for 2019 [6].

This study aims to investigate the contribution of sports tourism to the economy of Qatar as a remarkable destination in the present time, Qatar is also expected be the topmost destination of tourism in 2022 because of the World Cup 2022. More specifically, our project includes a comparative analysis of this material and published reports that reveal the contribution of tourist projects and event into achieving the SDGs in Qatar. Overall, this study aims to shed light on the strategy adopted by the state to make Qatar a leading tourist destination in the Gulf region by knowing the position of sports tourism as the essential tourism product that drives the tourism sector in Qatar.

In order to accomplish their goal, they collected data from various types of advertisement for sports events that took place and are scheduled to take place in Qatar, from 2006 to 2022, in the capital city of Doha. They chose this time period because it includes some of the most important sports events in the world, such as the Asian Games in 2006 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They collected data from print ads, online ads, and video ads. To get the best data, they conducted a keyword search on Google, the biggest search engine in the world. The keywords they chose included terms like ‘Qatar 2022’, ‘Fifa 2022,’ ‘Qatar football ads,’ and ‘Handball 2015’. They also collected data from Arabic ads, English ads, FIFA 2022 Qatar, ‘International Sports’, the Olympic Committee Qatar, and ‘Sports Day’.

The researchers used content analysis and document interpretation to comprehend the narrative and themes of the collected advertisements. They also analyzed secondary research data from tourism investments made by governmental agencies and other organizations producing and/or providing official statistical data. These data were stored in separate files. The researchers used NVivo software, one of the most widely used tools for qualitative data analysis, for data analysis. The process of data analysis involved reviewing transcripts and records, as well as research articles relevant to the advertisements. Data was converted into code using nodes and queries to identify themes and patterns. They also verified and developed theories using NVivo software. NVivo has been recommended by many researchers for data analysis due to its improved accuracy and ability to generalize findings across contexts and complex situations. As far as the SDGs are concerned, this study focused on those related to and having a mutual impact with tourism.

3.1 Tourism and sustainable development

In 2015, world leaders agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals to guide our development until 2030. Tourism is committed to this in this joint endeavor, in 03 goals out of 17 goals, to develop and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates job opportunities and enhances local culture and products; However, the tourism sector, which accounts for 10% of global GDP, 7% of world trade and one in 10 jobs, can contribute to the achievement of all 17 goals by raising the economic growth of developing countries as well as exploitation optimum natural resources for these countries. 2016 was another excellent year for international tourism despite many challenges, as the number of tourists increased for the year. It is the seventh in a row to reach 1.2 billion, with the strongest growth recorded in Africa and Asia. In the first six months of 2017, the number of tourists reached about 598 million, an increase of 36 million tourists compared to the same period in 2016. This explains the growth recorded from January to June 2017 (6%), which is above all expectations, making this hex the most effective since 2010. 2016 was an excellent year for international tourism despite many challenges as the number of tourists increased for the seventh consecutive year to reach 1.2 billion and recorded the most robust growth in the two regions of Africa and the pacific.

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Figure 1. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals according to world leaders (OMT)

It represents a distinctive sign of interest in sustainable tourism development and provides assistance and guidance for member countries in this vital field. In 2010, the Member States of the United Nations adopted the “2014 Agenda for Tourism Development.” Namely, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as shown in Figure 1. This schedule includes the sustainable tourism development goals and the general framework for this strategy it aims to eliminate absolute poverty in developing countries, incredibly the least developed and the poorest, and to combat discrimination and inequality, and reduce the risks of climate change and global warming until the year 2014.The goals of sustainable tourism development are based on human development in its integration with strategies the development of different countries, according to their economic, political and social conditions, and the tourism sector contributes directly and indirectly in achieving these objectives, which can be limited to economic objectives social and environmental.

In this study, researchers focused on specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are relevant to and have a relationship with tourism. The exact SDGs were not specifically mentioned, but it can be assumed that the researchers chose SDGs that were relevant to the tourism sector and its relationship with sustainable development. The researchers likely used the SDGs as a framework or a lens through which to assess the advertisements and their relationship to sustainable development principles. Each SDG represents a particular aspect of sustainable development. For example, the SDGs focus on poverty eradication; gender equality; climate action; responsible consumption and production; sustainable cities and communities; and more. In order to include the SDGs in the analysis, researchers likely looked at how the advertisements address or represent the goals and their related targets. This could include whether the advertisements promote sustainable practices; social inclusion; environmental conservation; or economic development (among others). The researchers may have searched for specific references or visual cues within the advertisements that align with the SDGs.

In addition to the content analysis and the document interpretation techniques mentioned above, it is likely that one of the main purposes of the analysis was to evaluate how well the advertisements conveyed messages about sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By including the SDGs in their analysis, the researchers sought to determine to what extent the advertisements reflect and promote sustainable practices, thus contributing to the larger conversation about sustainable tourism development and how it relates to global development objectives. It is important to note, however, that without specific information provided in the original data, the exact number of SDGs considered and how they were incorporated into the analysis can be derived only from the general knowledge of sustainable development and how relevant the SDGs are to tourism.

The travel and tourism sector is one of the sectors most affected by the Corona pandemic in 2020, and its global effects on these sectors are expected to continue until 2024. The collapse of the international tourist arrivals is explained in Figure 2 and Figure 3.

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Source: The United National World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

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Figure 3. The impact of COVID-19 on international tourism

Sustainable tourism is an industry committed to making a low impact on the local environment and culture while helping to create future jobs for local people. One of the pros of sustainable tourism is ensuring that development is a positive experience for local people, tour operators and tourists. The United Nations World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as tourism that meets the needs of current tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing future opportunities. Rather than being a kind of product, it is a spirit that supports all tourism activities [13].

The goals and indicators of the development goals fall into three groups (economic, environmental and social). The economic sphere is the consumption patterns in society, which affect energy and access to clean cities, it affects the economic infrastructure and economic activity. In the social field, governance is considered the main element that controls the social elements is that the government provides direct control over the activities it reduces the levels of administrative corruption in the country, as well as helps in the recruitment and exploitation of the inputs in a better way effective in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, and its impact is in creating partnerships, improving education, and reducing reduce gender inequality, provide adequate health services, and achieve food security. In the field of environment, at the bottom of the pyramid comes the preservation of the optimal use of land and seas, and the minimization of factors that contribute to influencing climate change, including the emission of greenhouse gases. All previous objectives and elements affect the change in poverty within the community as well as provide social equality in access and spread of services equitably between different groups of society [14-16].

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms: The world is well positioned to promote economic growth and development on all fronts tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors. Achieving food security and improving food quality encourage the adoption of sustainable farming methods, sustainable tourism can drive an increase in agricultural productivity by boosting agricultural production sustainable use, not using chemicals that pollute soil and water, consuming local agricultural products in hotels and tourist resorts, and integrating them into a tourism value chain, modern farming methods can be combined with traditional agriculture free of chemicals and fertilizers and pollutants. The additional income generated in the local communities can improve and upgrade the value of experience in sustainable tourism development [12, 17].

Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth worldwide. Tourism in general is driving global economic growth, and it currently provides one job out of 11 jobs. Sustainable tourism development depends on sustainable and renewable infrastructure and environment, and tourism helps sustainable governments maintain and improve infrastructure to remain sustainable and clean as an effective means to attract tourists and foreign investment, this facilitates the establishment of industrialization and sustainable production necessary for economic growth and sustainable development. Appropriate technology never means that it is old or obsolete, but rather that is what is intended; the high-end technology Tech Hi is environmentally friendly and sustainable. In the case of Egypt, it can be said that clean energy production technologies such as solar and wind energy are appropriate for the conditions. The climate in Egypt, where the percentage of solar brightness increases throughout the year and the intensity and intensity of winds rise over Bahrain's red and white coasts. It would be desirable if legislation were passed in the new parliament to obligate hotels, resorts, and tourist villages to use renewable energy sources which are clean and environmentally friendly and for everyone who loves beautiful nature and pure natural and social environment [6, 18].

Goal 10: Reducing inequality within and across the world: Tourism can be a powerful tool for community development and reducing disparities if it provides an opportunity for urban renewal, rural development, and the reduction of regional imbalances in its development path. Sustainable tourism empowers women in various ways, including creating jobs and making them available. Opportunities to generate income by working in small and medium tourism projects, sustainable tourism can become an effective way to employ women and help them to play an active role in the local community. In 2014, the least developed countries received 4.16 billion US dollars in exports from international tourism, after the exports amounted to 6.2 billion US dollars in 2000, 7% percent of total exports) and allowed some of them to rank higher than the least developed countries, an essential component of their economies [9, 19, 20].

Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, sustainable and resilient: Sustainable tourism has the potential to improve urban infrastructure and the shape of cities. Not only to be suitable for its citizens; but to be ideal for the city's essential and meet the basic requirements for tourism. In the same vein, achieving this goal will lead to encouraging and preserving cultural heritage that shown in public places, green infrastructure (more efficient transport facilities, reduced air pollution, preservation of heritage sites. Go to healthier and more environmentally friendly cities that benefit not only residents but also tourists [21].

Goal 12: Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns: The tourism sector by adopting the effective sustainable consumption and production practices can reduce the consumption and enhance the economic, social and environmental outcomes. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) launched the Sustainable Tourism Program (STP), which is considered as one of the core components of 10-Year Framework Programs for Sustainable Consumption and Production Models on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP). The 10YFP stimulates sustainable tourism practices as it includes initiatives that encourage on the efficient operation of the inputs of natural resources to obtain economic and social outputs. So, the tourism sector can adopt Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practices to significantly accelerate the global shift towards sustainability in line with the Target 12.b of Goal 12 which stipulates that it is imperative to “Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products”. In brief, The STP of 10YFP aims at developing such SCP practices, including resource-efficient initiatives that result in enhanced economic, social and environmental outcomes [22].

Goal 14: Life Below Water: There is a broad consensus that tourism development must be sustainable. However, how to achieve this remains a matter of debate. The concept of sustainable tourism is closely related to the idea of sustainable mobility, as there is no tourism without travel. Two related considerations are the dependence of tourism on fossil fuels and the impact of tourism on climate change.72% of carbon dioxide emissions in tourism come from transportation, 24% from the accommodation, and 4% from local activities. Aviation causes 55% of the carbon dioxide emissions from transport (or 40% of all tourism). When considering the impact of all greenhouse gas emissions, induced condensation trajectories and suspended clouds, aviation alone can account for up to 75% of tourism's impact on the climate. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) suggests an annual increase in fuel efficiency shall be adopted to realize less than 2% carbon emission by 2050. Airbus and Boeing expect air transport mileage to increase by about 5% annually through 2020, outweighing any efficiency gains. Tourism will likely generate 40% of global carbon emissions by 2050, with other economic sectors significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The main reason is the increase in the average distance traveled by tourists, which for many years has been increasing faster than the number of trips taken. “Sustainable transport has now been identified as the critical issue facing the unsustainable global tourism industry, and aviation is at the heart of this issue.”