Abstract:
Today, adventure tourism is the fastest-growing tourism sector in the world. Focusing on the development of adventure tourism can benefit the host community because most of the adventure sports are performed in places that are usually remote and are less used, so by taking advantage of the mountains, forest, and sea, many tourists can be attracted, as well as adventure tourism. Now it has gained popularity and has become one of the growing market segments. According to the report of the World Tourism Organization, each domestic and foreign tourist can create ten jobs on average. Therefore, this industry can play a significant role in the economic growth and development of the country, for this reason, the purpose of this research was to identify the entrepreneurial opportunities of adventure tourism.

Methodology:
This research is applied in terms of purpose and among the qualitative research that was conducted using semi-structured and in-depth interview tools. The research community was formed by experts in the field of adventure tourism. Also, judgmental purposeful sampling was used and participants in the research were agency managers, marketing managers, and tourism guides with at least 5 years of experience in adventure tourism. To analyze the data, the six-step thematic analysis of Clark and Brown 2006 was used, and these interviews continued until the theoretical saturation was reached, and the theoretical saturation of the data was reached from the 12th interview onwards. To measure validity and reliability, the triangulation method was used as well as acceptability, transferability, verifiability, and retest.
Findings:
The findings from the analysis of 12 interviews with participants in the research led to the identification of 6 main themes. Entrepreneurial opportunities in adventure sports tourism include opportunities for accommodation, food, transportation, tourism services, tourist attractions, equipment, and handicrafts.
Conclusions:
By recognizing the entrepreneurial opportunities and planning them, one can take the basic steps for the development of adventure tourism in the country. Entrepreneurial opportunities can contribute to the sustainable development of adventure tourism in rural and pristine areas. It is also suggested that the trustees of tourism, especially the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Handicrafts, should develop adventure tourism and entrepreneurship in this area in cooperation with other private and government organizations.