Manuscript ID : TOURISM-2401-1113 Visit : 223 Page: 142 - 164

Article Type: Original Research

Investigating the Relationship between the Perception of Safety and Security in Urban Sports Tourism and Its Effect on the Intention to Return to the Destination

Subject Areas : Geography and tourism planning, geography and urban planning, urban planning, architecture, geography and rural planning, political geography

Majid Amini ¹ , Bagher Morsal ² , Ali Fahiminejad ³ , Seyed Mostafa Tayebi Sani ⁴

1 - 1. Ph.D. Student in Sport Management, Department of Physical Education, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
2 - Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad
3 - Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood Branch, Shahrood, Iran
4 - Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood Branch, Shahrood, Iran

Received: 2024-01-28 Accepted : 2024-03-03 Published : 2024-02-01

Keywords: Mashhad city, Safety, Tourist destination, Willingness to return.,

Abstract :

The purpose of this research is to understand the safety and security in urban tourism and its effect on the intention to return to the destination, which was done case by case in the city of Mashhad. This research is applied and the method is descriptive-correlation. The statistical population of this research includes all tourists of recreational and sports places in Mashhad. The statistical sample based on Cochran's formula (with an error of 0.05) was considered equal to 384 people. The results showed that the highest average related to the component "If I travel to this region in the future, I will visit this tourist destination" with 4.10 and the lowest average related to the component "This destination will be my first choice in the future" with 88. It is 3. The results of the box test showed that the effect of gender among the respondents on the subscales of the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of the destination is not significant. The results of multivariate analysis of variance (MANVA) in the group of sports tourists showed that age has a significant effect on some variables, and as a result, the research hypothesis is accepted. Also, the factor of the number of visits could not affect all the variables at the same time. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) in the group of sports tourists showed that the number of visits has no significant effect on their perception of the safety and security of the tourist destination.

References:

Full-Text:

Investigating the Relationship between the Perception of Safety and Security in Urban Sports Tourism and Its Effect on the Intention to Return to the Destination

Majid Amini1, Baqer Mursal*2, Ali Fahiminejad3, Seyed Mostafa Tayebisani4

1. Ph.D. Student in Sports Management, Department of Physical Education, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran.

2,3,4. Assistant Professor of Sports Management, Department of Physical Education, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran.

Abstract

Keywords: Mashhad city; Safety; Tourist destination; Willingness to return.

*Corresponding author: morsal1361@gmail.com

Received: 28/01/2024 Accepted:09/03/2023

1. Introduction

Tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors. Today, tourism is known as an influential force in international changes and developments (Williams, 2004) and a solution for economies in distress, because it is the largest industry in the world in terms of employment and domestic production and the fastest industry in terms of economic growth (Arif, 2011). For example, since 2000, tourism has gradually become a key activity in strengthening Japan's economy (Yamiko, 2018). The tourism industry is one of the most important economic industries and has a special place in the economic, cultural, social and city management fields. In other words, urban tourism is an important issue for urban management that paying more attention to this sector will definitely lead to the economic prosperity of cities and consequently increase the quality of urban life. In line with the development of urban tourism, it should be noted that the overall development of the life of communities, the development of tourism trends, and the change in the needs and tastes of tourists have caused satisfaction in tourists and making them loyal to destinations to be a more complicated process compared to the past (Keiwanlu et al., 2018). Sports tourism is defined as sports-based travel away from home and for a limited period of time, in which the type of sport is specified (Hinch Waito, 2018). Today, sports tourism as a white industry among developed countries has become one of the important strategies to increase employment, income, infrastructure development, and improve the economic and political situation. According to the evidence, the entry of each foreign tourist into the country generates foreign exchange income equal to 20 barrels of oil, and due to the important role it plays economically and politically, it has become a very strategic issue (Isfahani, 2017). Tourism is a service industry that includes material and non-material items. Material items include air, rail and road transportation system, tourism tours, restaurants and canteens and related services such as banking services, insurance, security and health services. Intangibles or no-material items also include relaxation, culture, different experience and adventure (Purkiani, 2015). For the success of any tourist destination, the tourism of that destination must be maintained in a sustainable way, ensuring the safety and security of tourists. In fact, many factors influence the choice of tourists for vacation. One of these factors is the safety or perceived safety of the destination (Ronald and Kentech, 2003). In fact, all people are threatened in terms of safety and security not only in their daily life such as driving a car, work and sports, but also face it in social, private and public environments as well as during vacations and travel. In particular, in relation to tourism and its range of activities, ensuring safety and security is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of this industry (Niemeyer, 2011). As a tourist city, Mashhad hosts millions of domestic and foreign tourists every year. A significant number of these tourists travel to Mashhad with the intention of using recreational sports facilities, or they also visit Mashhad sports recreational facilities in addition to the pilgrimage and field trip for which they come to Mashhad. Safety and security is one of the main components of attracting tourists. If the safety and security of the tourists are ensured in Mashhad and they feel safe and relaxed when they are in Mashhad, they will definitely travel to Mashhad again and recommend others to visit Mashhad. The purpose of the current research is to investigate the perception of sports tourists about matters related to safety and security in the city of Mashhad and its effect on the intention to return and travel again to the same tourist destination, namely Mashhad, and its possibility of sports recreation.

2. Literature Review

According to Mansfeld and Pizam (2006), the safety and security of tourism depends on four possible factors created in the security situation that may affect the tourism system: incidents related to crime, terrorism, war and civil/political unrest. On the other hand, Mawendo, (2006) believes that terrorism; war and political instability, health risks, cultural and language problems, and crime are among the top five risks associated with tourism. Accordingly, there is a real and perceived personal risk for tourists who experience it (Mavendo, 2006). Safety or perceived safety of the destination is a hidden reason for preferring vacations. No one wants to worry about the possibility of violence while on vacation. Consequently, tourists are likely to choose a destination where safety risks are minimal (Allen, 2000). Resigner (2005) believes that to create a favorable environment for tourism development, it is important to understand how potential tourists experience their environment in terms of safety. Since safety and security is one of the five main pillars of tourism development, an area that is subject to risks or criminal tourism can never develop properly (Rosigner, 2005). If a tourist feels insecure or threatened in a tourist destination, negative feelings and attitudes are formed in him, which can be very harmful for the tourist destination and lead to a decrease in the number of tourists and visitors to that destination. This reduction can happen in the following ways: Potential tourists may decide not to visit the destination because it has a high crime situation. If tourists feel threatened at the destination, they will not participate in activities outside their accommodation. In addition, it is not expected that tourists who feel insecure or unsafe will recommend the destination to others (George, 2003). Research on tourism and criminal activities related to safety and security dates back to the early 1990s (George, 2003). In recent years, the global tourism industry has experienced many crises and incidents. Terrorist attacks, political instability, economic recession, biosecurity and natural disasters and countless other examples are all considered serious threats to the activities of this industry. But for success and growth in the tourism industry, the need to attract tourists is vital. But this important thing requires gaining trust and providing security for tourists in tourist places (Rahmati, 2014). In the last few decades, urban tourism has emerged as a major trend in the reconstruction of city relations, and in this regard, the use of urban spaces with the motive of recreation and entertainment combined with the stay of tourists in most regions of the world, especially in countries such as England, Sweden, and France. It has led to the term of social tourism policies. In the same regard, today in many countries, tourism based on urban tourism shows the improvement of people's living standards, which according to Weblin's point of view, the development of urban class recreation is a special way of life (Sibra et al., 2013). Safety is very important during travel and most people do not risk their safety while participating in tourism activities. In general, safety concerns tourists and affects their behavior in all stages of travel. In the travel planning stage, people tend to avoid unsafe tourist destinations. During the trip, insecure feelings and experiences reduce tourists' positive mood and willingness to participate in tourism activities and the quality of their travel experience. After completing the trip, tourists who perceive the destination as too unsafe may choose not to visit the destination again or recommend the destination to others (George, 2003). Travel safety is a huge concept and covers a wide range of topics. Tarlow and Santana (2002) identified eight aspects of safety and security, including transportation, pollution, violence, natural disasters, health issues (food security), international terrorism, crime, and political instability (war actions) (Tarlow and Santana, 2002). Santana, 2002). With the emergence of some new technologies, Kovari and Zimani (2011) added the safety of personal data and obtaining accurate information to the safety concerns of tourists (Kovari and Zimani, 2014). In the last two decades, a series of natural and artificial disasters such as disease, Sars in 2003, Japan earthquake in 2011 and terrorist attacks of ISIS and corona virus have happened in recent years. The Internet is an effective platform for disseminating information about these events to potential tourists around the world. As a result, tourists are more concerned about safety than ever before. When an unsafe perception is assigned to a particular destination, it creates a lasting negative image in the tourist's mind. Changing this image takes a long time and is a costly investment in marketing.

3. Research Method

This research is of applied type, which was carried out by descriptive-correlation method. The statistical population of this research includes all tourists of recreational and sports places in Mashhad. Since the population is unlimited in this research, therefore, the relationship of the unlimited population was used in the calculation of the sample size. In order to determine the sample size, first a pre-test of 30 users was conducted to determine the standard deviation of the community. Then Cochran's formula was used to determine the sample size. The number of statistical sample in this research was determined to be 384 people. The sampling method is also available. The data collection tool consists of an integrated questionnaire, which basically consists of several standard questionnaires, which are introduced below:

- Safety and Security Attitude Questionnaire by Yan and McLaren (2014): This questionnaire consists of two main dimensions of cognitive attitudes and emotional attitudes. Cognitive attitudes include 6 dimensions of travel safety information, health concern, personal safety issues, crime vulnerability, police security and safe destination. Emotional attitudes are also in three dimensions: concern about health, concern about risks and fear and nerves. This questionnaire is designed on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from completely disagree or 1 point to completely agree with 7 points.

- Huang and Liu (2015) Return Intention Questionnaire: This questionnaire contains 4 questions about the tourist's intention to travel and revisit the tourist destination. This questionnaire is designed on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from completely disagree or 1 point to completely agree with 7 points.

- George Safety Perception Questionnaire (2003): This questionnaire includes very safe (1 point); safe (2 points); uncertain (3 points); Insecure (4 points); Very unsafe (5 points) is designed and includes 5 questions regarding the safety and security of the city during the day and night; Public transportation, around the city, accommodation.

- Questionnaire of demographic characteristics: includes questions about gender, age, frequency of visits, length of stay or visit, and native or non-native tourists.

To check the construct validity of the questionnaires, confirmatory factor analysis method was used with the help of Lisrel software. To judge the confirmatory factor analysis from the chi-square ratio to the degree of freedom (x2/df), comparative fit index (CFI), goodness-of-fit index (GFI), smoothed goodness-of-fit index (NFI) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), using became. The optimal limit for the ratio (x2/df) is less than 3, for GFI, CFI, NFI the value is more than 0.90 and for RMSEA less than 0.1.

Table 1. Summary of indicators of construct validity of the questionnaires

Questionnaire	x2/df	CFI	GFI	NFI	RMSEA	p-value
Tourism safety and security	1.8	0.95	0.97	0.97	0.08	0.000
Understanding the safety of tourist destinations	2.01	0.94	0.95	0.96	0.08	0.000
Intention to return to the sports destination	2.04	0.093	0.96	0.94	0.08	0.000

Cronbach's alpha was also used to determine reliability. In this study, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was measured for all parts of the questionnaire and presented in the following tables. 30 sports tourists answered the questions at this stage.

Table 2. Cronbach's alpha coefficients to check the reliability of tourism safety and security questionnaire

	Scale		Number of questions	Cronbach's alpha coefficients
cognitive	Travel safety information		Questions 1-4	0.88
	Health concern		Questions 5-7	0.89
	Personal safety issues		Questions 8-11	0.86
	Vulnerability to crime		Questions 12-14	0.83
	Police security		Questions 15-17	0.89
	Safe destination		Questions 18-23	0.88
Emotional	Health concerns		Questions 24-28	0.87
	Concern about risks		Questions 29-31	0.91
	Fear and nerves		Questions 32-33	0.89
Understanding safety	Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the whole questionnaire			0.88
	Understanding safety	5		0.84
Intention to return	Intention to return	4		0.87

As can be seen, the questionnaires used in the present study have good reliability. SPSS 24 and PLS software were used for data analysis.

4. Result

4.1. Descriptive statistics results

Five parameters of age, gender, frequency of visits, length of stay and native/non-native users were asked. The results related to the demographic characteristics of the statistical sample of the research are presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Demographic distribution of the people in question (statistical sample)

Scale	Demographic characteristics	Frequency	Frequency Percent
Gender	Male	210	54.68
Gender	Female	174	45.31
Age	Below 20 years	20	5.2
	21-30 years	100	26.04
	31-40 years	90	23.43
	41-50 years	81	21.09
	51-60 years	45	11.71
	61-70 years	36	9.37
	Above 71 years	12	3.12
Native/Non-native	Native	242	63.02
Native/Non-native	Non-native	142	36.97
Frequency of visits	Rarely (1-2 times a year)	33	8.59
	Occasional (3-6 times a year)	86	22.39
	fairly often (once a month)	162	42.18
	Often (at least once a week)	103	26.82
Staying time	Less than 2 hours	127	35.88
	2-10 hours	110	27.85
	1-24 hours	50	11.66
	1 day and night	57	12.84
	1-3 days	24	5.25
	More than 3 days and nights	16	3.16

The frequency distribution chart of the respondents based on their answer about the intention to return to the tourist destination is presented in the table below.

Table 4. Statistical description of users' perception of the intention to return to the sports tourism destination

Questionnaire questions	Users	Mean	standard deviation	The amount of effect
If I travel to this area in the future, I will visit this tourist destination	Tourists	4.10	0.507	High
I will visit this destination again	Tourists	4.03	0.534	High
I will visit this destination again in the near future	Tourists	4.01	0.598	High
This destination will be my first choice in the future	Tourists	3.88	0.658	High

Effect rate: less than 1.5: very little; 5/2-5/1: low; 5/3-5/2: medium; 5/4 – 5/3: a lot; Above 4/5: Very high

According to Table 4, the results showed that the highest average for the component "If I travel to this region in the future, “I will visit this tourist destination" with 4.10 and the lowest average for the component "This destination will be my first choice in the future" It was" with 3.88. Also, the frequency distribution chart of the respondents based on their answers to the category of their safety and security attitude is presented in Table 5.

Table 5. Statistical description of users' perception based on safety and security attitude towards sports tourism destination

Questionnaire questions	Users	Mean	Standard Deviation	The amount of effect
Travel safety information
Travel safety information is effective in reducing injuries	Tourists	3.86	0.608	High
I believe that travel safety information prevents accidents	Tourists	3.69	0.601	High
Providing safety equipment and information is important in maintaining the health and safety of tourists	Tourists	3.89	0.630	High
I believe that tourist destinations should provide safe information to tourists	Tourists	3.69	0.634	High
Health concern
Tourists may be harmed by unknown bacteria	Tourists	4.00	0.470	High
Tourists may get food poisoning	Tourists	3.90	0.574	High
Some infections may threaten me	Tourists	3.81	0.653	High
Personal safety issues
I carry my personal first aid kit when I travel	Tourists	3.92	0.564	High
To avoid stomach upset, I only use mineral water	Tourists	3.94	0.616	High
To prevent stomach upset, I have water purification tablets with me	Tourists	4.02	0.614	High
I carry things that will ensure my safety during the trip	Tourists	3.94	0.606	High
Vulnerability to crime
Consuming alcohol in tourist destinations causes damage to tourists	Tourists	4.02	0.422	High
The use of narcotic drugs in tourist destinations can increase the risk of crime	Tourists	3.90	0.463	High
Tourists may be the target of criminal activity.	Tourists	3.89	0.372	High
Police
Consuming alcohol in tourist destinations causes damage to tourists	Tourists	3.87	0.389	High
The use of narcotic drugs in tourist destinations can increase the risk of crime	Tourists	3.91	0.390	High
Tourists may be the target of criminal activity.	Tourists	3.89	0.406	High
Safe destination
I don't go to some tourist destinations because it's too dangerous	Tourists	3.91	0.514	High
I would rather choose a safe destination than an unsafe one	Tourists	3.84	0.539	High
I will not travel to a tourist destination that has food safety issues	Tourists	3.83	0.571	High
I do not travel to tourist destinations that have low hygiene standards	Tourists	3.83	0.590	High
It is important for me to be comfortable in a destination	Tourists	4.00	0.470	High
I do not travel to destinations where there are political issues	Tourists	3.90	0.574	High
Concern about risks
I am concerned about the dangers of racial and cultural differences	Tourists	3.77	0.626	High
I am concerned about verbal abuse by locals	Tourists	3.76	0.703	High
I am worried about the possibility of being kidnapped by locals	Tourists	3.66	0.692	High
I am concerned about the possibility of theft by local people	Tourists	4.10	0.605	High
I am concerned about sexual harassment by locals	Tourists	3.92	0.688	High
Health concerns
I am worried about getting sick during the trip	Tourists	3.93	0.589	High
I am worried about some diseases while traveling	Tourists	3.93	0.560	High
I am worried about the unsanitary conditions of tourist destinations when I travel	Tourists	3.92	0.564	High
Fear and nerves
The possibility of an accident while traveling scares me	Tourists	3.94	0.606	High
Thinking about taking risks while traveling makes me nervous	Tourists	3.79	0.656	High

Effect rate: less than 1.5: very little; 5/2-5/1: low; 5/3-5/2: medium; 5/4 – 5/3: a lot; Above 4/5: Very high

4.2. Results of inferential statistics

Before determining the type of test to be used, especially in comparative tests, it is necessary to make sure that the variables are normal. To determine the normality of the variables, the significance level should be checked. If the significant level is less than 0.05, the variable is abnormal, and if it is more than 0.05, it is normal. In this research, the normality of the natural distribution of the data was investigated using the test, the results of which are presented in Table 6.

Table 6. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test results to check the normality of data distribution in the statistical sample of the research

Order	Research Variables	Descriptive Results		Kolmogorov-Smirnov test		Result
Order	Research Variables	Mean	SD	Z statistic	The significance level	Result
1	Frequency of Visits	3.43	0.48	1	0.270	Normal
2	Age Group	2.79	0.72	0.476	0.977	Normal
3	Native or Non-native	2.44	0.6	0.478	0.976	Normal
4	Staying time	2.41	0.55	0.766	0.601	Normal
5	Gender	2.99	0.79	0.707	0.699	Normal

0.05> P*

According to table 6, it can be seen that the frequency of visits with a significance level of 0.270, age group with a significance level of 0.977, being native or non-native with a significance level of 0.976, the length of stay with a significance level of 0.601 and gender with a significance level 0.699 are normally distributed.

• Statistical test of the first research hypothesis

Hypothesis zero (H0): There is no significant difference between the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of sports tourism destination according to their gender.

Research hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference between sports tourists' perception of the safety and security of the sports tourism destination according to their gender.

The results of the box test showed that the condition of homogeneity of the variance matrices for the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of the destination was correctly met, which is equal to Box = 27.998, F = 2.769, P = 0.002, respectively. Based on Lon's test and its significance for the variables, the condition of equality of inter-group variances was not met (P<0.05). Therefore, instead of the results of the Lambda test, the results of the Pillai effect test are referred to. The results of the Pillai effect test showed that the effect of gender among the respondents on the subscales of the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of the destination is not significant (Pillais Ttace = 0.013, F = 0.803 and P = 0.524); In other words, the gender factor could not affect all variables at the same time.

Table 7. Results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) to compare sports tourists' perception of the safety and security of the tourist destination with their gender.

Group

Dependent Variable

Sports tourists

Travel safety information

health concern

Personal safety issues

Vulnerability to crime

Police security

Safe destination

Concern about risks

Health concerns

Fear and nerves

0.166

0.128

0.083

0.094

0.107

0.234

0.013

0.004

0.005

0.046

0.028

0.003

0.002

0.007

0.093

0.013

0.004

0.006

0.409

0.137

0.017

0.014

0.048

0.684

0.033

0.032

0.036

0.536

0.723

0.899

0.917

0.872

0.426

0.223

0.874

0.863

According to Table 7, the results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANVA) in the group of sports tourists showed that gender has no significant effect on their perception of the safety and security of the tourist destination, and as a result, the null hypothesis is confirmed.

• Statistical test of the second research hypothesis

Hypothesis zero (H0): There is no significant difference between the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of sports tourism destination according to their age groups.

Research hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference between sports tourists' perception of the safety and security of sports tourism destinations according to their age groups.

The results of the box test showed that the condition of homogeneity of the variance matrices for the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of the destination has been correctly met, which is equal to Box = 79.227, F = 3.808, P = 0.000, respectively. Based on Lon's test and its significance for the variables, the condition of equality of inter-group variances was not met (P<0.05). Therefore, instead of the results of the Lambda test, the results of the Pillai effect test are referred to. The results of the Pillai effect test showed that the effect of gender among the respondents on the subscales of the perception of sports tourists in terms of destination safety and security is not significant (Pillais Ttace = 0.037, F = 1.139 and P = 0.336); In other words, the age factor could not affect all the variables at the same time.

Table 8. Results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) to compare sports tourists' perception of the safety and security of the tourist destination with their age.

Group

Dependent variable

Sports tourists

Travel safety information

health concern

Personal safety issues

Vulnerability to crime

Police security

Safe destination

Concern about risks

Health concerns

Fear and nerves

0.243

0.496

1.612

1.637

0.008

1.005

0.547

0.309

0.094

0.122

0.248

0.806

0.819

0.004

0.503

0.274

0.154

0.047

1.080

1.402

6.230

50.718

0.025

3.379

1/279

1.412

0.420

0.342

0.249

0.003

0.004

0.976

0.036

0.280

0.246

0.657

According to Table 8, the results of multivariate analysis of variance (MANVA) in the group of sports tourists showed that age has a significant effect on some variables, and as a result, the research hypothesis is accepted. Therefore, Tukey's post hoc test was used to determine the difference between the two groups (Table 9).

Table 9. Tukey's post hoc test, examining the difference between the physical-economic and cultural capital and the age of the candidates

Group

Dependent Variable

Age

Sports tourists

Personal safety issues

Vulnerability to crime

Safe destination

51-60 or 61-70

61-70 or above 71

0.003

0.004

0.036

According to Table 9 of the results of Tukey's post hoc test, there is a significant difference between the age difference in sports tourists and the perception of sports tourists about the safety and security of the tourist destination. Comparing "personal safety issues" with age showed that there is a significant difference between the age group of 51-60 years (X=4.15) and the age group of 61-70 years (X=3.84) (P=0.003) And comparing "vulnerability to crime" with age showed that there is a significant difference between the age group of 51-60 years (X=4.21) and the age group of 61-70 years (X=3.91) (P=0.004), and comparing "safe destination" with age showed that there is a significant difference between the age group of 61-70 years old (X=3.81) and the age group of 71 years and over (X=3.63) (0.036 =P).

• Statistical test of the third research hypothesis

Hypothesis zero (H0): There is no significant difference between the perception of sports tourists regarding the safety and security of the sports tourism destination according to the frequency of their visits.

Research hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference between sports tourists' perception of the safety and security of the sports tourism destination according to the frequency of their visits.

The results of the box test showed that the condition of homogeneity of variance matrices for the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of the destination has been correctly met, which is equal to Box=26.47, F=1.78, P=0.469 respectively. Based on Lon's test and its non-significance for the variables, the condition of equality of variances between groups has been met (P≥0.05). The results of the Lambda Wilks test showed that the effect of the number of visits among the respondents on the investigated subscales is not significant (Lumbda Wilks = 0.917, F = 1.952 and P = 0.041); In other words, the factor of the number of visits could not affect all the variables at the same time.

Table 10. Results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) to compare the perception of sports tourists about the safety and security of the tourist destination with the frequency of their visits

Group

Dependent Variable

Sports tourists

Travel safety information

health concern

Personal safety issues

Vulnerability to crime

Police security

Safe destination

Concern about risks

Health concerns

Fear and nerves

368.0

696.0

678.0

395.0

202.0

111.1

436.0

377.0

506.0

184.0

348.0

339.0

198.0

101.0

555.0

218.0

189.0

253.0

646.1

982.1

500.2

306.1

918.0

625.2

443.1

143.1

589.1

196.0

141.0

085.0

274.0

401.0

075.0

238.0

320.0

205.0

According to Table 10, the results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANVA) in the group of sports tourists showed that the number of visits has no significant effect on their perception of the safety and security of the tourist destination, and as a result, the null hypothesis is accepted.

• Statistical test of the fourth research hypothesis

Research hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference between sports tourists' perception of the safety and security of the sports tourism destination according to the duration of their stay.

The results of the box test showed that the condition of homogeneity of variance matrices for the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of the destination has been correctly met, which is equal to Box = 69.341, F = 3.765, P = 0.001, respectively. Based on Lon's test and its significance for the variables, the condition of equality of inter-group variances was not met (P<0.05). Therefore, instead of the results of the Lambda test, the results of the Pillai effect test are referred to. The results of the Pillai effect test, the effect of the length of stay among the respondents on the subscales of the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of the destination is not significant (Pillais Ttace=0.041, F=1.022 and P=0.451); In other words, the length of stay factor could not affect all variables at the same time.

Table 11. Results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) to compare sports tourists' perception of the safety and security of the tourist destination with their length of stay

Group

Dependent variable

Sports tourists

Travel safety information

health concern

Personal safety issues

Vulnerability to crime

Police security

Safe destination

Concern about risks

Health concerns

Fear and nerves

627.0

249.1

577.0

312.1

218.0

483.0

324.0

870.0

294.0

401.0

617.0

391.0

625.0

117.0

234.0

226.0

423.0

168.0

182.1

582.5

012.1

861.42

021.1

320.1

468.1

941.0

667.1

308.0

005.0

283.0

008.0

368.0

255.0

261.0

142.0

322.0

According to Table 11, the results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANVA) in the group of sports tourists showed that the length of stay has a significant effect on some variables, and as a result, the research hypothesis is accepted. Therefore, Tukey's post hoc test was used to determine the difference between the two groups (Table 12).

Table 12. Tukey's post hoc test, examining the place of difference between the physical-economic and cultural capital and the age of the candidates

Group

Dependent Variable

Staying Time

Sports tourists

health concern

Vulnerability to crime

1-3 days with more than 3 nights

005.0

008.0

According to Table 12 of the results of Tukey's post hoc test, there is a significant difference between the length of stay of sports tourists and the level of perception of sports tourists about the safety and security of the tourist destination. Comparing "personal safety matters" with the length of stay showed that there is a difference between the length of stay of 1-3 days (X=3.25) and the length of stay of more than 3 nights (X=4.93) years (=0.005) P) and comparing "vulnerability to crime" with the length of stay showed that there is a significant difference between the length of stay of 1-3 days (X=2.76) and the length of stay of more than 3 nights (X=3.24) years. P = 0.008).

• Statistical test of the fifth research hypothesis

Hypothesis zero (H0): There is no significant difference between the perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of sports tourism destination according to whether they are native or non-native.

Research hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference between sports tourists' perception of the safety and security of the sports tourism destination according to whether they are native or non-native.

Table 13. The results of independent t-test to compare the level of perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of sports tourism destination according to whether they are native or non-native

According to table 13 and emphasizing the obtained t value (2.729) and p=0.007, the null hypothesis is rejected, therefore, statistically, there is a difference between the level of perception of sports tourists in terms of safety and security of sports tourism destination according to There is a significant difference whether they are native or non-natives.

To find practical significance, eta square was used, Cohen (1998) stated to determine practical significance, if the value of eta square is 0.01, the effect is low (small), 0.06 is a medium effect, 0.14 or more is the effect. It is big. According to the calculations, the practical significance value (0.18) in the level of perception of sports tourists regarding the safety and security of the sports tourism destination according to whether they are natives or non-natives was evaluated as high.

5. Discussion and Conclusion

As it is clear from the results of the research, regarding the questions related to the topic of "return intention", the highest average is related to the component "If I travel to this region in the future, I will visit this tourist destination" with 4.10 and the lowest average is related to the component "This destination will be my first choice in the future" with 3/88. In this way, it is clear that the general sports tourists have recognized the study area as worthy of revisiting, but it is not a high priority. This means that if they travel to this area (Mashhad), they will also visit the desired site. But this site in itself will not be important for them as the first tourist destination. The results of this part of the current research have been similar to the research of Lee et al. (2016). Because in that research it was also found that tourists who were satisfied with a destination recommended it to their friends and acquaintances. Also, it is consistent with the research of Kayo (2011) and Salimi Sobhan (2013) and Shabani and Taleghani (2012) in the field of the impact of travel satisfaction on revisiting and desire to return.

On the other hand, the results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANVA) in the group of sports tourists showed that gender has no significant effect on their perception of the safety and security of the tourist destination. The results of this part of the research are in contrast with the study of George (2003). Because he claimed that women feel less safe than men during sports tourism trips and therefore the desire to return to tourist destinations is higher for men.

Also, it is in conflict with the research of Temat Elahi et al. (2016). Because they believed that there is a difference between women and men regarding the desire to return to the tourist destination. But it is completely consistent with Hazarjaribi's research (2013). Because he also showed that there is no significant difference between women and men regarding the feeling of safety and security in trips, as well as the desire to return to the tourist destination.

The results of Tukey's post hoc test showed that there is a significant difference between the age of sports tourists and the level of perception of sports tourists about the safety and security of the tourist destination. Comparing "personal safety issues" with age showed that there is a significant difference between the age group of 51-60 years (X=4.15) and the age group of 61-70 years (X=3.84) (P=0.003) And comparing "vulnerability to crime" with age showed that there is a significant difference between the age group of 51-60 years (X=4.21) and the age group of 61-70 years (X=3.91) (P=0.004) ), and comparing "safe destination" with age showed that there is a significant difference between the age group of 61-70 years old (X=3.81) and the age group of 71 years and over (X=3.63) (0.036 =P). The results of this part of the research are in line with the study of George (2003), because he also believed that elderly people feel safer when traveling than young people. Also, the research of Esmailzadeh et al. (2014) also showed that there is a significant difference between the age of people and their perception of security and safety in tourist destinations. However, the research results of Nematolahi et al. (2016) and Hazarjaribi (2016) are in conflict with the current research, because they believed that there is no significant difference between people's age and their perception of security and safety in tourism destinations and the intention to return.

The results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) in the group of sports tourists showed that the number of visits has no significant effect on their perception of the safety and security of the tourist destination. The results of this part of the research are in contrast with the studies of Yod (2017) and Lee Jeon and Kim (2011), because they believed that the number of visits has a significant relationship with the intention to return.

The following suggestions are presented as a summary of the research:

• Survey and needs assessment of users (sports tourists) regarding the strengths and weaknesses related to security and safety in tourist sites in order to solve them;

• Improving the level of safety and security of tourist destinations according to national and international guidelines;

• Periodic monitoring of sports tourism sites from the point of view of security and safety;

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License $C:\Users\M\Desktop\New folder\download (2).png$

Native

Non-Native

Result

Perception of tourists

285/0±93/3

242

303/0±84/3

142

382

729/2

007/0

There is a statistically significant difference

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Investigating the Relationship between the Perception of Safety and Security in Urban Sports Tourism and Its Effect on the Intention to Return to the Destination