GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM SPACE
Year:2014 | Volume:3 | Issue:9|Papers Count:8

Nowadays tourism is a dynamic industry with unique and outstanding features. This industry constitutes a major portion of service providing businesses of the developed and developing countries, so that a major part of revenue of many countries comes from this industry. There is a growing demand for tourism services to develop natural, historical, cultural, and religious attractions so that welfare facilities and development of tourism can be developed. Abarko, the city which is the joint between three internationally -known important tourist provinces, is featured with high potential for natural, cultural, historical, and natural tourism. Nevertheless, this city has failed to claim its real position in tourism industry concerning the staying rate. Tourism in the city is distinguished because of its long history, warm and arid climate, its vicinity to the Silk Road, pre and post-Islamic architecture, unique geographical position and many other touristic attractions such as the Ancient Oak which is internationally famous, as well as many historical heritages, various weather conditions, national and religious customs and traditions which have created the conditions for tourism development. The present study was aimed at surveying the role of ecotourism, cultural, historical, and religious attractions in the development of tourism in Abarko. To this end, in addition to the examination of capacities and functions of tourism in this city to develop such functions and to introduce the attractions of tourism, the study proposes approaches and strategies to develop the tourism. The study was carried out using inferential and analytical methods and collecting data using questionnaires which were analyzed through SPSS software.

The main objective of this study was to identify the factors contributing to the improvement and development of tourism in Nahavand. Tourism is considered as one of the major reasons of urban development. Tourism has been a phenomenon existing for a long time in human societies with its own specific features and gradual historical development, but it is not developing anymore. There are various reasons for tourism among which trip, resettlement, psychological, cultural, social, and economic ones can be mentioned. Tourism development, particularly the increasing number of tourists, helps spurring a range of economic activities in the host country or region (Karegar, 1386, p.39). No considerable progress has been made considering the importance of this issue in the present time and in the ancient city of Skinheads which is said to date back to 3500 to 4500 years BC to advertise and promote the city as the capital of Iran’s civilization. Therefore, proper planning and attention is necessary in the development of tourism in the city. According to the mentioned criteria, investigating the pathology of the city which deals with the development of tourism in order to examine the causes of underdevelopment of Nahavand tourism seems necessary to develop the tourism industry in the city. Perhaps internal problems can be regarded as the reason that the city despite having various capabilities and diversified tourism and the factors of distance is not well-known.In the present study, the researchers tried to give a general definition of tourism as an industry, factors affecting its development, tourism and the adverse effects of social and cultural barriers. Then, a brief summary of the historical aspects of Nahavand and its attractions were given. Finally, the findings of this descriptive – analytical study were analyzed.

Ecotourism is mainly based on resources and attractions that natural environment provides for tourists. Its benefits include both the necessity of suitable potentialities and conditions, and the need to protect natural resources. This process is fulfilled for tourists’ attraction by determining of natural environment’s potential. The present study which mainly used SWOT model has inspected and analyzed geomorphologic landforms abilities and limitations which affect ecotourism in Beshghardash region as a suburb of Bojnourd. For assessment and analysis of potentials and limitations of ecotourism development in Beshghardash region and in order to assess the tourism development, total strategies as well as classification of related structures using SWOT model were used in order to obtain the combined strategies. While providing of Beshghardash region geomorphologic map by ILWIS software, using SWOT model, its strength, weakness, opportunities and threats were determined and the priority was distinguished. The sum of weight concession of the region’s weakness was 1.53. In fact this number represents the superiority affect of strength points between inner factors in Beshghardash region. On the other hand, sum of weight concession of opportunities and threats in the study zone were 2.89 and 1.11 rspectively. Concession superiority pertained to tourism opportunities and inner strength points similar to distinguished ecotourism attractions and a variety of natural and original views on the region plane indicate the desirabe conditions of ecotourism tours, kinds of ecotourism activities and adventures, sports, therapeutic, scientific, summery and winterish tourism development accomplishment in the study zone. While absence of substructions, necessary facilities, affective publicity, inexistence accommodating finance and little attention to mountainous and valley tourism zones as ecotorism capitals of our country are stable ecotourism development in this area.

It is essential to use all capabilities in order to create a sustainable and comprehensive development in Iran and also to substitute new resources of revenue for oil. In this regard tourism industry is introduced as a substantial need of the country which is the third growing economy after oil and car manufacturing industries. Therefore, it is critical to recognize the barriers of tourism industry development in the different regions of this country. In this research, four factors were recognized as barriers for tourism development which were (a) multiplicity of decision making in organizations, (b) advertisement, (c) poor infrastructure, and (d) weakness of tourism culture which is due to underdeveloped tourism industry in Zanjan province. These factors were identified by referring to the reports and interviewing with informants of Zanjan tourism industry. Four hypotheses were formulated to investigate how these factors were related to the underdeveloped tourism industry in the city. T-test, Friedman test, as well as qualitative techniques were used to gather data for the study. The obtained results showed that there was a direct relationship between two variables of multiplicity of decision making and weaknesses of tourism culture with underdevelopment of tourism industry in Zanjan province.

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of word of mouth communications and the role of personality traits in using word of mouth communications among inbound tourists who traveled to Isfahan. For this purpose, some hypotheses have been derived in order to examine the influence of factors such as extraversion dimensions (extroverted vs. introverted) and risk taking dimensions (Risk taking vs. Risk avoiding) as personality traits on the use of word of mouth communications. The statistical population of the study included inbound tourists who visited Isfahan at the first season of 2011. A total of 200 tourists have been selected by convenience sampling method as sample members. The results of this study indicated that the inbound tourists who visited Isfahan used word of mouth communications as a source of information about tourism destination (Isfahan). Also the results revealed that extraverted and risk takers used more word of mouth communications for their travel planning than others. The results of analysis of variance indicated that the extend of word of mouth communications use as a source of travel information differed among tourists with different gender and also between those who had or had no previous experience of visiting Isfahan. Female tourists who had previous experience of visiting Isfahan used word of mouth communications more than others. Also the results indicated that tourists with higher educational level were more extraverted than others. Another part of the results revealed that male tourists who had previous experience of visiting Isfahan were more risk taking than others.

This research aimed at assessing and improving the tourism carrying capacity of Serein regarding to sustainable development of tourism. The carrying capacity of this target has been assessed with respect to both target-oriented approach and the approach based on different theoretical aspects of the tourism as environmental, economic, and socio – cultural. Its main purpose is an applied study and of nature and its methodology is an analytical and descriptive one. Required data for the study has been gathered and analyzed through questionnaire and sample size of research determined using Cochran formula. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations coefficients were used obtained by SPSS. The analyses of the results indicated that the tourism development in Sarein from economical and sociocultural aspects are commensurate with the accommodation of carrying capacity, while environmental and physical aspects were much more than accommodation of carrying capacity of the Sarein. The results of the analysis indicated a high direct relationship between tourism facilities and the number of tourists, and also it was proved that there was a significant and meaningful relationship between the number of tourists and the quality of the tourism experience. Finally, some suggestions were proposed for sustainable tourism development and increasing carrying capacity of Sarein.

Hamedan Ali sadr Cave is one of the world’s 10 major important caves and the number of its visitors (about 600 thousand people per year) ranks 10 in the world. This study aims to estimate the economic value of ecotourism of Ali sadr cave by using a Zonal Travel Cost Method because of the importance of this tourist region. In the present research data such as social – economic condition, travel cost and the visitors of Alisadr cave have been analyzed using simple random sampling and questionnaire all of which are related to winter, spring, and summer of 2012. The results showed that variables of age, education, visitors’ income and cost and distance have significant effect on visiting the region. The analysis of the visitors’ income level showed that there was a high correlation between this variable and the number of turing days in the wild and willingness to pay entrance fees. Alisadr cave’s recreational value was estimated to be 20.45 billion rials per day. This result reflexes high economic value of this recreation centre and the necessity of more attention to tourism development in this region. Also, based on the results of the research, some suggestions were proposed to improve the attraction and development of this tourism region.

Health tourism and medical tourism is one of the factors that may play an important role in tourism development and has a very wide range. In this article we are going to be familiar with the concept of health tourism and medical tourism, we divide it into four major sections and Iran’s capabilities and abilities in each of these four sections have been analyzed. First, parts of health tourism and medical tourism are examined. Then, Iran’s share of medical tourism and Iran’s position in the medical tourism will be discussed. Iran’s potential and capabilities in the field of health tourism and medical tourism are discussed considering four categories which are (a) hot springs and mineral waters, (b) salt dome, (c) ecotourism, and (d)medical tourism. The nature and meaning of each of the categories will be examined and Iran’s capabilities and abilities of each of the categories will be analyzed. Finally conclusions will be discussed.