Introduction and Purpose: Sport tourism is considered one of the key capacities for sustainable development in Lorestan Province, yet it faces multiple challenges. The purpose of this study was to identify these challenges and propose appropriate strategies for the development of sport tourism in the province.

Methodology: This research employed a qualitative approach using grounded theory (Glaser’s method). The statistical population consisted of experts, professors, and specialists in the field of sport tourism. Sampling was conducted through the snowball method, and in-depth interviews were carried out with 16 participants. The validity of the instrument (interview) was confirmed by the interviewees and subject-matter experts. Reliability was assessed using intra-subject agreement, yielding a coefficient of 0.87. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding.

Findings: The results revealed that the development of sport tourism in Lorestan Province is hindered by several barriers, including weak policy-making and management, insufficient infrastructure and facilities, inadequate human resources, ineffective marketing and advertising, environmental issues, cultural and social challenges, economic constraints, and technological limitations. In response, the proposed strategies to overcome these barriers include effective policy-making, professional management, infrastructure development, human resource enhancement, strengthened marketing, improved environmental conditions, attention to cultural and social aspects, economic support, and technological advancement. Each of these concepts was derived from open codes extracted during the analysis.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that sport tourism development in Lorestan Province suffers from problems such as poor infrastructure, lack of targeted advertising, and absence of comprehensive planning.