Origin, essence and significance of sports tourism

The article aims to trace the origin, evolution and importance of sports tourism in modern society. The research methodology applies a systematic approach to literature analysis to gather information on the topic, as well as an integrative technique, by synthesizing and reviewing previous findings. The search process was based on the systematic literature review approach to gather the necessary information from online databases. The systematic review approach ensures a structured procedure for searching, retrieving and synthesizing the scientific literature. The study sheds light on the different stages of interaction between sport and tourism, highlighting the influence of social and economic factors on the development of this industry. Based on an extensive and systematized commentary on various scientific and institutional definitions, an author's definition of the concept of "sports tourism" is proposed. As a result of the study, essential characteristics have been identified that play an important role in the development of sports tourism in modern society.