Tourism Research

Application of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Techniques (ANP) in order to Optimize Management by Prioritizing the Specific Areas of Tourism (Case Study: Yazd Province)

Ali Ghomi Avili

Knowing natural and human potentials of each area makes it possible for the development planning to be done based on the current situation and its potential. Typical tourism areas of the country are one of the key issues in policy making and tourism development, where attracting private sector investment, will provide sustainable regional development. The aim of this study is choosing a touristic area between the three regions Khranq, Saryazd and Narin Castle in Yazd province. The data was collected using documentaries and field research and data collection tool is a questionnaire with simple random sampling. In this study, to select and prioritize the tourism area, ANP (Analytic Network Process) of multi-criteria decision making techniques were used. Results obtained from AHP analysis showed that, taking into account the environmental criteria, tourism potential, economic potential and the role and impact of weight management, Mehriz Saryazd area is more adequate than the other two regions for investments in Yazd province. Narin Castle is second by a small margin. Also according to the technique used in the prioritization and the results, the pattern can be used for planning for the areas of other provinces.

Solutions for Regional Ecotourism Development Using the SOAR Framework (Case Study: Yazd)

Zabih Allah Torabi

Today, the tourism industry has been recognized as an important and influential factor in the global economy, and the various countries of the world are taking advantage of this industry to achieve sustainable economic, social, cultural development, and so on. In this industry, natural attractions have a dual value; one of the most important forms is ecotourism or natural tourism. Not only governmental organizations, but private organizations also have only a superficial understanding of ecotourism activities; as it is still at the beginning point, the economic, social and cultural effects of ecotourism’s development in Iran have not yet been identified. With the aim of identifying and introducing ecotourism attractions, this research presents a clear picture of the ecotourism conditions of Yazd province and the effects of these natural capacities on tourism development. Finally, there are some practical solutions for the development of ecotourism in Yazd province. This is a descriptive-analytical research and data was collected using documentary, surveying and field studies methods. The SOAR analytical technique has been used to elaborate a development strategy and to describe the strengths, opportunities, aspirations and measurable results. Based on the results obtained, with regard to the identified strengths such as the existence of areas of people’s participation in the tourism activities and Yazd province being located in Central Iran, etc., opportunities have been provided such as increasing employment and development of the province, which ultimately, will lead to opportunities, such as achieving a sustainable environment, reaching the highest levels of prosperity and comfort in the province, achieving full employment, etc. It is also expected to achieve results such as doubling of funding, the creation of a camp and a recreational hotel in Shirkouh area and the construction of a traditional restaurants with garden in the countryside of Deh-bala and Sunnij.

Economic Effects of Nature Tours in Damavand County

Bahar Bishemi

Canvas tourism is a responsive journey to natural attractions where the environment is preserved and the well-being of local people is taken care of. The economy of countries that rely on a single source of income are affected by the least fluctuations in prices. Therefore, diversifying the sources of income of the country and relying on non-oil exports is one of the solutions. One of the strategies for the optimal use of diverse attractions is the development of tourism in the country. The present study is descriptive. The statistical population of the study was all households in rural areas of Damavand (25,655 households), of which 383 were selected by simple random sampling method. The research tool is a researcher-made questionnaire that has been constructed using previous studies as well as theoretical framework of research and includes economic indicators. In order to ensure validity, the questionnaire was put at the disposal of the experts. To assess the reliability, the results of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were equal to 0.903. Data analysis was performed using SPSS19. To analyze the hypotheses, one-sample-t-test and Friedman test have been used. The results showed that the implementation of ecotourism tours in Damavand has positive effects for local community.

Sustainable Tourism, A Way to Develop Borderlands (Case Study: Kermanshah)

Kiomars Maleki

Today, the tourism industry is one of the key sources to income, employment and infrastructure to achieve sustainable development. The infrastructural approach currently used in planning the tourism industry and in other types of development is to achieve sustainable development. With an overview, we can see the weak position of the border regions in comparison with the central regions of the country in the process of national and regional development. The purpose of this study is to develop the province of Kermanshah in order to develop sustainable tourism.
This is a descriptive-analytical research and data collection has been done through documentary and library and field studies and has been used to identify the capabilities, potentials, constraints and deficiencies of sustainable tourism in Kermanshah province. Analyzing the data, the SWOT model and map drawing from GIS have been used. The findings indicate that Kermanshah province, despite its high tourist capacity and strategic location in the region, faces a lack of infrastructure, welfare facilities, and advertising and also management issues.

Causes of Failure of Urban Management in Urban Tourism Development (Case Study: Tehran)

Nasser Rezaee

Urban tourism management policies should be in a way that impedes conflicts between the interests of tourism and other urban functions in order to control the negative consequences of the complexity of the flow of tourism and its positive consequences in various dimensions. Tehran’s urban tourism has faced many challenges in recent decades. While the metropolis has a special status (administrative and economic political centrality), its historical background has the potential to attract domestic and foreign tourists. The purpose of this study, while introducing a brief overview of Tehran’s urban tourism plans, is to identify tourism development strategies for Tehran as a metropolis, since potential capabilities have provided a suitable basis for tourism to be used as one of the major advantages in the development of Tehran. In this research, the documentary and library method has been tried. By reviewing the structure of urban tourism management and plans implemented in this field, the current performance of Tehran’s urban tourism management should be investigated. The results of the research indicate that Tehran’s tourism abilities are not fully utilized by the management of urban tourism, which has caused Tehran not to have a desirable position in tourism despite its potent abundance.

Determining the Appropriate Time Calendar for Tourism in West Azerbaijan Province Using Bioclimatic Index

Sadi Yousefi

One of the factors influencing human life, health and well-being, especially the factors that should be considered in tourism, is climate. Climate and tourism have a great deal to do with each other, so that having favorable climate conditions is considered as a potential advantage for tourism, and most travelers are mindful of the location and time of travel to the climatic conditions. The expression of the climate of comfort is usually expressed by indicators in which a set of meteorological, human and environmental elements are involved. These indicators present climate data in a way that reflects the response of individuals to climatic conditions, and in numerical categorization, range from very appropriate to very inappropriate. These indicators facilitate the interpretation of the complex effects of atmospheric elements on human comfort and make it possible to compare different places from an ecological point of view. In this paper, using the statistics of synoptic stations in Kurdistan province, human health conditions have been analyzed based on bioclimatic indexes (stress, effective temperature, CPI index and THI index), and the results are as follows: Months May, June, August and September have a very favorable climate, and the months of July and October have relatively favorable conditions for tourist planning and utilization in the province. In general, the best time to travel to West Azerbaijan is spring and summer, as well as the most unfavorable the tourism programs in this province.

The Role of Tourism in the Sustainable Economic Development of Metropolitan Institutions (Case study: District 4 of Tehran Municipality)

Aboutaleb Ghasemi Vasmejani

The impact of tourism on urban structures and spaces has led tourism to be of particular importance to urban management, and suggests to city managers that improving the quality of these spaces and creating suitable facilities for tourists such as residential centers, recreation areas, and the provision of equipment and modern furniture may urban attract visitors to urban public spaces and ultimately attracts tourists. Urban public spaces and the quality of these spaces are one of the most important indicators of sustainable development of urban tourism, the development of which requires more attention, especially that it has a particular impact on the urban economy and targets the improvement of the economic situation of citizens. The 4th district of Tehran, which is the subject of this study, consists of the view of the Alborz mountain range and green areas such as the valleys of the Lar and Latian dam and the green valleys of Fasham, Oshan and Meigoon, and the recreational sports areas of Darband, Shemshak and Abalei in the east of the Tehran metropolitan area. This area is one of the most populous, most migratory and most resource-intensive areas that because of the largest protected area (Lavizan Forest Park) is distinguished from other parts of Tehran. Sustainable economic development of urban tourism is one of the tools for improving the quality of life of citizens and improving the environmental space of this applied area, which requires appropriate tourism facilities for leisure time and developing tourism. This research is a descriptive-analytic study used to collect data using field and documentary methods. Data were analyzed by T-test, ANOVA and Tukey tests using SPSS software. The results of the research show that the studied area has a relatively stable economic sustainability. Also, the results of one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test show that the price is the most important factor affecting the sustainable economic development of tourism.