This study aimed to develop a strategic framework for targeted marketing to promote sustainable tourism in student sports events. This study adopted a qualitative approach based on thematic analysis. The research population comprised experts in sports management, tourism, and marketing, who were selected using purposeful and snowball sampling methods. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 experts until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was conducted using a three-stage coding process (open, axial, and selective) with MAXQDA 2024 software and Shannon’s entropy technique. Following the thematic analysis process, a total of 396 initial statements with 713 frequencies were extracted. 310 initial statements with a total frequency of 583 were identified across 11 main categories as fundamental targeted marketing strategies. These include: Student Tourism Market Segmentation (71), School Event Destination Branding (53), Sports Tourism Product Diversification (52), Sports Event Digital Marketing (61), School Sports Stakeholder Engagement (59), Sports Tourism Infrastructure Development (64), School Sports Organizational Networking (40), Sports Tourist Experience Enhancement (54), Sustainable School Event Marketing (33), Student Marketing Technology Innovation (54), and Sports Marketing Performance Evaluation (42). The findings revealed that achieving targeted marketing goals in student sports events requires a networked, forward-looking approach in which digital technologies, effective stakeholder interaction, tourism product diversification, and related infrastructure development play a central role. Overall, this study showed that student sports events, if supported by collaborative management, technological innovation, and a coherent evaluation system, can serve as an effective platform for the economic, social, and cultural development of destinations while strengthening the human capital of the younger generation.