A B S T R A C T
Tourism as a socio-economic activity plays an essential role in the economic, social, physical, and cultural dimensions of rural settlements in developing countries, which can have significant impacts on rural physical identity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of tourism on the identity changes of rural settlements in Oraman area of Sarvabad Township in Kurdistan province. Therefore, the present study questions 1. What is the relationship between tourism development and rural identity changes in the study area? What are the most critical factors influencing the physical development of rural settlements? He answers. The present study is a descriptive-analytical based on data collection using a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study consisted of 7 villages located in the Dezli-Hajij communication axis in Oraman District based on population and housing census data of 1395 with 1572 households and 306 households were selected using Cochran formula. One-sample t-test and factor analysis were used for data analysis. The findings of the study showed that tourism development in the sample villages in terms of continuity over time such as housing construction quality (3/67), sanitation (3/39) and land-use changes (3/78) and unity and plurality such as Design and style of housing architecture (3/01) and public transit architecture (3/23) and then differentiation and homogeneity such as proportionality with rural life (3/58) and rurality or location (3/43) have a positive impact on the physical dimensions of rural settlements in the region. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that tourism development plays a vital role in the development of rural physical identity in the region. So that the proportion of rural life with a specific amount of 13/6 and 27% of the total variance had the most influence among the factors
Extended Abstract
Introduction
As an important socio-economic activity in local and regional development, tourism has a high potential for political, social, and economic changes in communities. Scholars widely regard it as the engine of development. Today, rural areas in developing countries face various economic, social, and environmental challenges. Planners need to pay more attention to complementary sectors of agricultural activities such as the development of handicrafts, food industries, and tourism because agriculture is now retreating from its hegemonic position in some rural areas. Therefore, tourism as one of the essential approaches to rural development has multiple effects on the socio-economic dimensions of rural areas. Tourism can play a vital role in shaping spaces, reconfiguring and rebuilding processes, creating new socio-economic opportunities in less-developed rural areas, and leads to changes in the physical dimensions and physical identity of the villages.
Methodology
This study aims to investigate the role of tourism development in the physical identity of rural settlements located in the Dezley-Hajij road axis in Oraman County (Sarvabad Township- Kurdistan province) in western Iran. This applied study methodology of research was based on analytical– descriptive methods using questionnaires. After the survey of theoretical bases, the questionnaire was set using a Likert spectrum and distributed randomly among the sample. The statistical population of this study consisted of 1572 households residing in the villages of Daraki (Dezli County), Veisiyan and Kamaleh (Oraman County), Belbar, Jivar, Celin, and Novin (Shalyar County), with a sample of 306 was selected by Cochran formula. A questionnaire was further validated by an academic panel of experts in the field of research. Cronbach's alpha determined its reliability, which was up to 0.890 for measured indexes. The data were analyzed by One sample T-test and Factor
analysis tests in the SPSS software package.
Results and discussion
To investigate the role of tourism activities in the physical identity change of rural settlements, the research indices in terms of three components of time continuity (quality of constructions, health, and environmental cleanliness and land-use transformations), unity/multiplicity (Landscape of free passages and the type of architectural style), and differentiation/similarity (proportional to rural life and Compliance with the physical environment) were classified. The results of the one-sample t-test showed that assuming numerical utility (3 mean spectra), the components of continuity in time, variance, multiplicity, and differentiation and similarity with numerical mean values (3.62), (3.35), and (3.27), respectively. The effect of tourism development is affected, and the difference is positive and means between upper and lower boundaries. There is a significant difference at the 95% level between the components. Evaluation of the importance of tourism in the physical development of rural settlements from the viewpoint of the respondents using factor analysis statistical test showed that the relevant data according to the KMO coefficient (0.812) is appropriate, and the Bartlett's test is 99% significant. Therefore, 50 variables extracted from the questionnaire were classified into six main factors, namely rural planning and architecture, beautification and environmental hygiene, privacy and road improvement, rural livelihoods, cultural regeneration, and physical security.
Conclusion
Findings based on the utility analysis of indicators indicate the positive impact of tourism development on the development of physical identity changes in rural settlements in the study area. Thus, the development of tourism in the villages under study has been able to positively influence the three dimensions of identity, such as continuity in time, unity and plurality, and differentiation and similarity. Therefore, it can be concluded that tourism development due to its social and economic impacts on the villages has also led to changes in rural physical identity. Moreover, hygiene and cleanliness of the rural environment were observed with a numerical mean (3.81) and (3.67), respectively, both of which are indices in the continuity component over time.
The results of the data analysis using factor analysis showed that the studied variables had 6% of the total variance in 5% of total variance. Based on the results of this analysis, it can be concluded that tourism development in two factors in terms of continuity in time has the most impact on the physical identity of rural settlements at 41%. Thus, planning and architecture of rural housing with 27% of the total variance and beautification and sanitation of the physical environment with 14% of the total variance have a significant impact on the physical changes and, consequently, the physical identity of the rural settlements.
Based on the research findings, the following suggestions can be considered:
Strengthening local institutions, such as the Islamic Council and the local managers, in order to promote the use of local patterns in the construction of new instruments to conform to the physical structure and function of the villages in the region;
Management of land use changes on the edge of the village in order to prevent unnecessary physical changes in the way of preservation and environmental beauty;
Prevent the accumulation of pesticides in public passages due to tourism in the area;
Improving public beauties and beautifying them using the social and cultural elements of the region.
Funding
There is no funding support.
Authors’ Contribution
The authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.
Conflict of Interest
The Authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate to all the scientific consultants of this paper.