Faculty of Geography- University of Tehran urban tourism 2423-6926 10 3 2023 10 27 The effect of brand coolness on customer brand engagement and tourists' behavioral responses the case study of tourists of Isfahan city The effect of brand coolness on customer brand engagement and tourists' behavioral responses the case study of tourists of Isfahan city 1 13 93575 10.22059/jut.2023.347695.1062 FA Mohammad Bashokouh Ajirloo Department of Business Management, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Adeleh Dehghani Ghahnavieh Department of Business Management, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 22 A B S T R A C T Considering the recent crises, including the corona disease and the sanctions and their effects on the tourism industry, it is necessary to revive this industry. This study investigates the effect of brand coolness on customer brand engagement and the effect of customer brand engagement on the behavioral responses of tourists (intention to revisit and intention to recommend to others), considering the moderating role of brand experience. The population of this research is tourists in Isfahan, which was selected using Cochran's formula of 400 people. The data collection tool is a questionnaire that was distributed and collected using the available method. In this research, content and convergent validity were measured and checked, and reliability was obtained by calculating Cronbach's alpha factor loading coefficients and composite reliability. Structural equation modeling of confirmatory factor and Spss25 and Smart Pls2.0 software were used for data analysis. The results show that coolness has a positive and significant effect on brand engagement, and brand engagement has a positive and significant effect on the intention to revisit and the intention to recommend to others. Brand experience can moderate the effect of brand coolness on brand engagement. Tourism managers and marketers can increase the number of tourists revisiting destinations by considering the role of brand coolness and its effect on customer brand engagement by providing a favorable brand experience. Also, encourage tourists to recommend these tourist places to others. Extended Abstract Introduction Considering the recent crises, including the corona disease and sanctions and their effects and losses on the tourism industry, it is necessary to revive this industry. Brands are looking for the revival and prosperity of their activities in the post-corona period. One of the methods of reviving and promoting the tourism industry in the post-corona period is brand coolness, which helps the tourism industry a lot in this important matter; coolness is the distinguishing factor of the brand. Brand coolness is the core and main center of tourist experience. Brands coolness is aesthetically wonderful, attractive, energetic, authentic, cool, symbolic, popular, memorable, independent, original, valuable, and memorable. Brands coolness is useful and fantastic. The brand coolness is dynamic and constantly changing, changes that are attractive and interesting for tourists. Brands coolness can strengthen satisfaction and love and facilitate customer interaction with the brand. Customer brand engagement is a multidimensional concept, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. Customer brand engagement is a strong psychological connection that leads to positive behavioral outcomes such as behavioral intentions to revisits. The experience of tourists is one of the important factors in choosing tourist destinations and returning to those tourist destinations. The customer positive brand experience strengthens the customer brand engagement and behaviors, such as the intention to visit and the intention to revisit. Tourism managers should pay attention to the brand and methods of increasing brand interactions with customers when setting marketing strategies. By creating infrastructure and using programs, tourism managers have provided the opportunity to increase customer interactions with the brand and created a pleasant and positive experience for tourists to increase the probability of revisiting and recommending to others. Methodology The current research is practical in terms of its purpose and descriptive survey regarding the data collection method. Also, the research seeks to describe and explain the effect of brand coolness on the brand engagement and the behavioral responses of tourists, considering the moderating role of the brand experience. The statistical population in this study is the tourists of Isfahan city. The research scales for measuring the variables were first extracted from the theoretical foundations, and then a questionnaire based on the Likert scale was designed. The questionnaire includes brand coolness constructs taken from Jiménez-Barreto et al. (2022) and Truong et al. (2021), customer brand engagement taken from Rather (2021) and Rather et al. (2021), intention to revisit and brand experience taken from Munawar et al. (2021), and intention to recommend to others is taken from Blanco (2020). The authors have moderated the questions of the questionnaire. Then, based on the opinion of experts, it was checked and approved for the validity of the form and content. Also, Cronbach's alpha was calculated to ensure the reliability of measurement scales. To explain the sample size, with the assumption of sampling from the unlimited population using the Cochran formula with a confidence interval of ∝=0.5 and a value of p=q=0.5, the sample size was determined to be 384, which was increased to 400 people for more accurate calculations. The samples were selected according to the available method. Structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were used for data analysis, and SPSS 25 and Smart Pls2.0 software were exerted. Results and discussion The results show that brand coolness (with a path coefficient of 0.678 and t-value=9.898) positively and significantly affects customer brand engagement. Also, customer brand engagement positively and significantly affects intention to revisit with a path coefficient of 0.558 and t-value=9.360 In addition, customer brand engagement positively and significantly affects the intention to recommend to others with a path coefficient of 0.561 and t-value=10.869. Brand experience (t-value=4.575) can moderate brand coolness on customer brand engagement. Conclusion In today's competitive environment and due to the need to revive the tourism industry, the attractiveness of brands has become increasingly important. Marketers make many efforts to create attractive brands. Coolness is one of the important features of attractive brands. It should be noted that a brand is a symbol, a design, a model that is formed in the minds of tourists, so its reinforcement and effects are effective on the intentions of tourists. So, it is important to consider the coolness of the brand as an effective factor in the behavioral intentions of tourists. Brand coolness is one of the best ways of customer brand engagement. Brand engagement refers to the active involvement of the customer with the brand. Tourists who perceive higher levels of brand coolness are more likely to interact with the brand and communicate with others. Because the brand can create positive feelings in the customers towards themselves and engage them more actively with the brand. More active, happier, bolder, and more popular brands increase customer brand engagement. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is attributed to the higher status and credibility of a brand. Authentic brands create positive emotions. Customer brand engagement is achieved through the development of customer-brand relationships. When customers have better relationships and interactions with the brand, it affects their behavioral responses and increases their revisits. Because tourists who have visited a destination and had communications and interactions with the brand affect its intentions and future decisions. When the communication and interactions are constructive, the probability of revisiting increases, and when they do not have good communication and interactions, the probability of revisiting in the future decreases. Tourists with better interaction and participation with the brand introduce and recommend the brand to others. In fact, they do word-of-mouth advertising and recommendations somehow. When tourists have good interactions with the brand, they invest more time and resources in it and are more inclined to spread positive words about it to others. Customer brand engagement is based on the level of customer brand experience; the more customer has the brand experience; the more brand engagement they will have. 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. A B S T R A C T Considering the recent crises, including the corona disease and the sanctions and their effects on the tourism industry, it is necessary to revive this industry. This study investigates the effect of brand coolness on customer brand engagement and the effect of customer brand engagement on the behavioral responses of tourists (intention to revisit and intention to recommend to others), considering the moderating role of brand experience. The population of this research is tourists in Isfahan, which was selected using Cochran's formula of 400 people. The data collection tool is a questionnaire that was distributed and collected using the available method. In this research, content and convergent validity were measured and checked, and reliability was obtained by calculating Cronbach's alpha factor loading coefficients and composite reliability. Structural equation modeling of confirmatory factor and Spss25 and Smart Pls2.0 software were used for data analysis. The results show that coolness has a positive and significant effect on brand engagement, and brand engagement has a positive and significant effect on the intention to revisit and the intention to recommend to others. Brand experience can moderate the effect of brand coolness on brand engagement. Tourism managers and marketers can increase the number of tourists revisiting destinations by considering the role of brand coolness and its effect on customer brand engagement by providing a favorable brand experience. Also, encourage tourists to recommend these tourist places to others. Extended Abstract Introduction Considering the recent crises, including the corona disease and sanctions and their effects and losses on the tourism industry, it is necessary to revive this industry. Brands are looking for the revival and prosperity of their activities in the post-corona period. One of the methods of reviving and promoting the tourism industry in the post-corona period is brand coolness, which helps the tourism industry a lot in this important matter; coolness is the distinguishing factor of the brand. Brand coolness is the core and main center of tourist experience. Brands coolness is aesthetically wonderful, attractive, energetic, authentic, cool, symbolic, popular, memorable, independent, original, valuable, and memorable. Brands coolness is useful and fantastic. The brand coolness is dynamic and constantly changing, changes that are attractive and interesting for tourists. Brands coolness can strengthen satisfaction and love and facilitate customer interaction with the brand. Customer brand engagement is a multidimensional concept, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. Customer brand engagement is a strong psychological connection that leads to positive behavioral outcomes such as behavioral intentions to revisits. The experience of tourists is one of the important factors in choosing tourist destinations and returning to those tourist destinations. The customer positive brand experience strengthens the customer brand engagement and behaviors, such as the intention to visit and the intention to revisit. Tourism managers should pay attention to the brand and methods of increasing brand interactions with customers when setting marketing strategies. By creating infrastructure and using programs, tourism managers have provided the opportunity to increase customer interactions with the brand and created a pleasant and positive experience for tourists to increase the probability of revisiting and recommending to others. Methodology The current research is practical in terms of its purpose and descriptive survey regarding the data collection method. Also, the research seeks to describe and explain the effect of brand coolness on the brand engagement and the behavioral responses of tourists, considering the moderating role of the brand experience. The statistical population in this study is the tourists of Isfahan city. The research scales for measuring the variables were first extracted from the theoretical foundations, and then a questionnaire based on the Likert scale was designed. The questionnaire includes brand coolness constructs taken from Jiménez-Barreto et al. (2022) and Truong et al. (2021), customer brand engagement taken from Rather (2021) and Rather et al. (2021), intention to revisit and brand experience taken from Munawar et al. (2021), and intention to recommend to others is taken from Blanco (2020). The authors have moderated the questions of the questionnaire. Then, based on the opinion of experts, it was checked and approved for the validity of the form and content. Also, Cronbach's alpha was calculated to ensure the reliability of measurement scales. To explain the sample size, with the assumption of sampling from the unlimited population using the Cochran formula with a confidence interval of ∝=0.5 and a value of p=q=0.5, the sample size was determined to be 384, which was increased to 400 people for more accurate calculations. The samples were selected according to the available method. Structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were used for data analysis, and SPSS 25 and Smart Pls2.0 software were exerted. Results and discussion The results show that brand coolness (with a path coefficient of 0.678 and t-value=9.898) positively and significantly affects customer brand engagement. Also, customer brand engagement positively and significantly affects intention to revisit with a path coefficient of 0.558 and t-value=9.360 In addition, customer brand engagement positively and significantly affects the intention to recommend to others with a path coefficient of 0.561 and t-value=10.869. Brand experience (t-value=4.575) can moderate brand coolness on customer brand engagement. Conclusion In today's competitive environment and due to the need to revive the tourism industry, the attractiveness of brands has become increasingly important. Marketers make many efforts to create attractive brands. Coolness is one of the important features of attractive brands. It should be noted that a brand is a symbol, a design, a model that is formed in the minds of tourists, so its reinforcement and effects are effective on the intentions of tourists. So, it is important to consider the coolness of the brand as an effective factor in the behavioral intentions of tourists. Brand coolness is one of the best ways of customer brand engagement. Brand engagement refers to the active involvement of the customer with the brand. Tourists who perceive higher levels of brand coolness are more likely to interact with the brand and communicate with others. Because the brand can create positive feelings in the customers towards themselves and engage them more actively with the brand. More active, happier, bolder, and more popular brands increase customer brand engagement. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is attributed to the higher status and credibility of a brand. Authentic brands create positive emotions. Customer brand engagement is achieved through the development of customer-brand relationships. When customers have better relationships and interactions with the brand, it affects their behavioral responses and increases their revisits. Because tourists who have visited a destination and had communications and interactions with the brand affect its intentions and future decisions. When the communication and interactions are constructive, the probability of revisiting increases, and when they do not have good communication and interactions, the probability of revisiting in the future decreases. Tourists with better interaction and participation with the brand introduce and recommend the brand to others. In fact, they do word-of-mouth advertising and recommendations somehow. When tourists have good interactions with the brand, they invest more time and resources in it and are more inclined to spread positive words about it to others. Customer brand engagement is based on the level of customer brand experience; the more customer has the brand experience; the more brand engagement they will have. 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.

https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_93575_2e251322637cdb8dd0b15765e2e0e109.pdf

Faculty of Geography- University of Tehran urban tourism 2423-6926 10 3 2023 10 27 The Impact of City Identity Factors on Tourism Development the Case Study of Shiraz city The Impact of City Identity Factors on Tourism Development the Case Study of Shiraz city 15 31 93581 10.22059/jut.2023.350827.1080 FA Hamidreza Varesi Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran Narges Vazin Department of Geography and Tourism Planning, Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Maryam Azimi Kohanjani Department of Geography and Tourism Planning, Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 22 A B S T R A C T Every city has environmental, cultural, social and physical characteristics that give identity to cities. The identity characteristics of each city play an undeniable role in developing tourism. The study aims to identify and evaluate the factors of urban identity affecting the tourism development in Shiraz city. The research method is descriptive-analytical and was done in a survey way. The statistical population of the research was 315 tourists, who were selected using a simple random sampling method. The data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire. The content method was exerted for the validity of the questionnaire and the Cronbach's alpha method was applied to measure the reliability of the questionnaire, and the alpha coefficient was calculated as 0.872. For data analysis, SPSS software and factor analysis, one-sample t-test, ANOVA and Duncan tests were used. Using factor analysis, 13 urban identity factors affecting tourist attraction and tourism development in Shiraz city were identified. Also, the findings indicated that the two factors of historical monuments of different eras (4.57), and celebrities, mystics and writers (4.42) are the most important factors of urban identity affecting the tourism development in Shiraz city, and urban infrastructure (2.36) had the least impact. Therefore, it is suggested that urban planners emphasize preserving all the historical, cultural, literary, natural and physical identity factors of the city, and by using all the identity factors, try to introduce the city and develop sustainable tourism Extended Abstract Introduction In planning and developing tourism of urban destinations, the city identity is essential. Place identity includes cultural, physical and environmental entities that distinguish a particular place from others. Urban areas have several characteristics that distinguish them from other cities. These features represent the city identity and include historical monuments, historical objects, cultural activities and unique local products. City identity is significant for tourism development and can be one of the most important factors in attracting tourists. The natural, cultural, historical, literary and physical features of each city play an effective role in giving identity to the city and are recorded in the memory of tourists. The more these features are well-known, they can play a more prominent role in attracting tourists and developing tourism, so the role of the identity factors of cities in attracting tourists and developing urban tourism is one of the important issues that should be considered. Shiraz is one of the urban tourism destinations of the country, which annually hosts many domestic and foreign tourists. Shiraz has many historical monuments with rich architectural styles related to different historical periods. Also, Shiraz is known as a creative literary city in the world. Therefore, it is important to identify factors of urban identity that are effective in the tourism development of Shiraz. Therefore, the study attempts to identify and evaluate the factors of urban identity affecting the tourism development in Shiraz. Methodology The current research is applied in terms of its purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature, and it was carried out in a survey manner and with a quantitative method. The research location of Shiraz city and the statistical population of the research is 315 tourists who visited Shiraz city. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect data. First, on review of the literature, measurement items were extracted and then classified into five socio-cultural, historical, literary, natural, and physical dimensions, and based on that, a research questionnaire was designed. Questionnaire variables were measured in 5-point Likert scales of very low (1) to very high (5). To measure the validity of the questionnaire, content validity and opinions of several professors in the field of tourism were used. SPSS software and descriptive (percentage and mean) and inferential statistical tests, including exploratory factor analysis, one-sample t-test, ANOVA, and Duncan tests, were used to analyze the data. Results and Discussion The findings based on the factor analysis model show that 13 identity factors in Shiraz city are effective in attracting tourists and developing tourism, including 'local culture and security', 'souvenirs and handicrafts', 'religious attractions', 'historical monuments of different periods', 'historical neighborhoods and axes', 'celebrities, mystics and writers', 'literary works and music', 'distinct and unique natural features', 'urban natural spaces', 'suitable climate', 'urban infrastructure', 'physical characteristics of accommodation, catering and entertainment centers', 'physical structure of the city'. In order to evaluate the effect of city identity factors on Shiraz tourism development, factors obtained from factor analysis were analyzed using a one-sample t-test. Out of 13 identified factors, except for 'urban infrastructures' and 'physical characteristics of accommodation, catering and entertainment centers', the average of other factors has been evaluated higher than the optimal level. Duncan's test was used to determine the difference between the factors and their classification in terms of their influence on tourism development, and the 13 identified urban identity factors were divided into five groups. The results show that the two identity factors, ' historical monuments of different eras' and 'celebrities, mystics and writers', are the most important urban identity factors affecting the tourism development in Shiraz. Tourists are more familiar with the monuments and buildings of different periods, including the buildings of different periods, Zandiye historical complex, various historical houses, historical gardens, and mystics and poets such as Hafez and Saadi. The main goal of many tourists to Shiraz is to visit the historical and literary monuments. Conclusion The research aims to identify and evaluate urban identity factors affecting Shiraz's tourism development. The results show that Shiraz is more known for its historical and literary identity, and these factors have played the greatest role in attracting tourists and developing tourism in Shiraz. However, the identity of any city is dependent on all its historical, cultural, literary, environmental and physical components, so city managers must emphasize the preservation and dynamics of all historical, cultural, literary, natural and physical identity factors of the city. The findings of this study will be useful for tourism planners to better understand the urban identity factors affecting tourism, which can be used for future planning of urban tourism development and better introduction and presentation of identity factors to tourists. 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. A B S T R A C T Every city has environmental, cultural, social and physical characteristics that give identity to cities. The identity characteristics of each city play an undeniable role in developing tourism. The study aims to identify and evaluate the factors of urban identity affecting the tourism development in Shiraz city. The research method is descriptive-analytical and was done in a survey way. The statistical population of the research was 315 tourists, who were selected using a simple random sampling method. The data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire. The content method was exerted for the validity of the questionnaire and the Cronbach's alpha method was applied to measure the reliability of the questionnaire, and the alpha coefficient was calculated as 0.872. For data analysis, SPSS software and factor analysis, one-sample t-test, ANOVA and Duncan tests were used. Using factor analysis, 13 urban identity factors affecting tourist attraction and tourism development in Shiraz city were identified. Also, the findings indicated that the two factors of historical monuments of different eras (4.57), and celebrities, mystics and writers (4.42) are the most important factors of urban identity affecting the tourism development in Shiraz city, and urban infrastructure (2.36) had the least impact. Therefore, it is suggested that urban planners emphasize preserving all the historical, cultural, literary, natural and physical identity factors of the city, and by using all the identity factors, try to introduce the city and develop sustainable tourism Extended Abstract Introduction In planning and developing tourism of urban destinations, the city identity is essential. Place identity includes cultural, physical and environmental entities that distinguish a particular place from others. Urban areas have several characteristics that distinguish them from other cities. These features represent the city identity and include historical monuments, historical objects, cultural activities and unique local products. City identity is significant for tourism development and can be one of the most important factors in attracting tourists. The natural, cultural, historical, literary and physical features of each city play an effective role in giving identity to the city and are recorded in the memory of tourists. The more these features are well-known, they can play a more prominent role in attracting tourists and developing tourism, so the role of the identity factors of cities in attracting tourists and developing urban tourism is one of the important issues that should be considered. Shiraz is one of the urban tourism destinations of the country, which annually hosts many domestic and foreign tourists. Shiraz has many historical monuments with rich architectural styles related to different historical periods. Also, Shiraz is known as a creative literary city in the world. Therefore, it is important to identify factors of urban identity that are effective in the tourism development of Shiraz. Therefore, the study attempts to identify and evaluate the factors of urban identity affecting the tourism development in Shiraz. Methodology The current research is applied in terms of its purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature, and it was carried out in a survey manner and with a quantitative method. The research location of Shiraz city and the statistical population of the research is 315 tourists who visited Shiraz city. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect data. First, on review of the literature, measurement items were extracted and then classified into five socio-cultural, historical, literary, natural, and physical dimensions, and based on that, a research questionnaire was designed. Questionnaire variables were measured in 5-point Likert scales of very low (1) to very high (5). To measure the validity of the questionnaire, content validity and opinions of several professors in the field of tourism were used. SPSS software and descriptive (percentage and mean) and inferential statistical tests, including exploratory factor analysis, one-sample t-test, ANOVA, and Duncan tests, were used to analyze the data. Results and Discussion The findings based on the factor analysis model show that 13 identity factors in Shiraz city are effective in attracting tourists and developing tourism, including 'local culture and security', 'souvenirs and handicrafts', 'religious attractions', 'historical monuments of different periods', 'historical neighborhoods and axes', 'celebrities, mystics and writers', 'literary works and music', 'distinct and unique natural features', 'urban natural spaces', 'suitable climate', 'urban infrastructure', 'physical characteristics of accommodation, catering and entertainment centers', 'physical structure of the city'. In order to evaluate the effect of city identity factors on Shiraz tourism development, factors obtained from factor analysis were analyzed using a one-sample t-test. Out of 13 identified factors, except for 'urban infrastructures' and 'physical characteristics of accommodation, catering and entertainment centers', the average of other factors has been evaluated higher than the optimal level. Duncan's test was used to determine the difference between the factors and their classification in terms of their influence on tourism development, and the 13 identified urban identity factors were divided into five groups. The results show that the two identity factors, ' historical monuments of different eras' and 'celebrities, mystics and writers', are the most important urban identity factors affecting the tourism development in Shiraz. Tourists are more familiar with the monuments and buildings of different periods, including the buildings of different periods, Zandiye historical complex, various historical houses, historical gardens, and mystics and poets such as Hafez and Saadi. The main goal of many tourists to Shiraz is to visit the historical and literary monuments. Conclusion The research aims to identify and evaluate urban identity factors affecting Shiraz's tourism development. The results show that Shiraz is more known for its historical and literary identity, and these factors have played the greatest role in attracting tourists and developing tourism in Shiraz. However, the identity of any city is dependent on all its historical, cultural, literary, environmental and physical components, so city managers must emphasize the preservation and dynamics of all historical, cultural, literary, natural and physical identity factors of the city. The findings of this study will be useful for tourism planners to better understand the urban identity factors affecting tourism, which can be used for future planning of urban tourism development and better introduction and presentation of identity factors to tourists. 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.

https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_93581_5c6835fe91a70f8b3e989a0ed957d45d.pdf

Faculty of Geography- University of Tehran urban tourism 2423-6926 10 3 2023 10 27 Designing model of the effect of tour guides in the promotion of Iran's tourism industry Designing model of the effect of tour guides in the promotion of Iran's tourism industry 33 48 93871 10.22059/jut.2023.349430.1072 FA Faeze Sadat Mirfakhraddini ) Department of Tourism Management, Faculty of Economics, Management and Accounting, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 22 A B S T R A C T Tour guides can be considered ambassadors of countries and tourist destinations, who play a significant role in ensuring the satisfaction of tourists, the image of the destination and the return of tourists. The recognition of tourist destinations is highly dependent on the performance of tour guides. This research seeks to evaluate the relationship between the role of tour guides in promoting tourism and its relationship in creating a good image of the destination and increasing the willingness of tourists to visit again in Iran. The above will be reviewed, considering the tour guides' satisfaction as a mediator. This research was carried out using the integrated technique of ISM and SEM, and data were collected from 11 academic experts and tourism sector activists and 86 domestic and foreign tourists who visited Iran's attractions and using online structured questionnaires. The results indicate a positive and direct relationship between the role of tour guides in promoting tourism and the destination's image. In addition, a direct effect was found between the promotional role of tour guides and tourists’ revisit intention. In this article, the mediating role of guided tours was also confirmed. In addition, the importance of tour guides in promoting the image of the destination and the tourist's intention to revisit has been highlighted in this study. The determined findings are expected to help improve the performance of tour guides in promoting tourism Extended Abstract Introduction Tourism is a multifaceted industry that continues through joint efforts between different stakeholders. Tour guides are key stakeholders in the industry as they guide tourists in providing insight into a country and its attractions. This case also includes a country's cultural and traditional contexts, the suggestions provided, the rules and regulations, and other expected behavioral characteristics that must be followed. Iran can be a desirable tourist destination in Asia due to its natural attractions along with historical and cultural attractions and heritage. At the forefront of the tourism industry, tour guides bring many benefits to a country with their goodwill. They represent a country's unique history and are the nation's spokesperson for their cultural heritage. Travel agencies and tourist destinations provide services such as translating, providing information, and templates, leading tours and cultural brokerage, and organizing tours. With their knowledge and interpretations, tour guides play a significant role in enriching the individual knowledge level of tourists and can promote the trip to a central learning experience. Zhang and Chow (2014) have outlined how tour guides provide tourists with the “moment of truth” that can make a trip enjoyable or an unpleasant experience for them. Therefore, providing a satisfactory travel experience to tourists can be considered a determining factor for the success of a travel agency, which also affects the image of the destination, tourist behavior and loyalty. In addition, tour guides help in marketing and branding, leading to new businesses and jobs. The main purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate the structural relationships between the "advertising role of tour guides, destination image and tourist's revisit intention". The mediating role of tourist satisfaction as an outcome of guided tours will also be assessed. Other goals that we are trying to achieve in this research are (1) highlighting the role of tour guides in promoting tourism to help develop the destination's image and reputation among tourists; (2) designing a model to investigate the interrelationship between the promotional role of tour guides, levels of satisfaction with guided tours, destination image and tourists' revisit intention; (3) testing mutual relationships in the model based on data collected from domestic and foreign tourists who have visited Iranian attractions; (4) Investigating the mediating effects of tour guide satisfaction on the interrelationship between tour guides' performance, destination image, and tourists' revisit intention; and finally (5) discussing and presenting suggestions for improving the performance of tour guides in the field of tourism promotion. Methodology The present research is applied research in terms of direction and in terms of the type and method of collecting survey-descriptive information. The method of data collection is through questionnaires and library studies. Structural-interpretive modelling and structural equation modelling are used to present the model and analyze the data. Results and discussion This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge related to the performance of tour guides, as it is one of the few studies that presents a structural model through PLS-SEM that examines the relationship between the role of tour guides in tourism promotion, destination image, and tourist revisit intention. It describes tourists' satisfaction with guided tours through These hypotheses were investigated with the SEM approach, and all were confirmed. This research concludes that tour guides are the heart and soul of the tourism industry. They contribute to the many factors that encourage the success of the industry by providing high-quality services that have the potential to increase tourist satisfaction. At the forefront of the industry, they are critical players in developing tourists' destination image and behavioral intentions. Conclusion There are several suggestions to improve the behavior and performance of tour guides in Iran in order to maintain the image of the country's destination in the eyes of tourists and increase the intention of tourists to visit again. Basic formal courses and continuing professional education should be introduced by relevant authorities such as the Ministry of Tourism, travel and tourism agencies, hotels, tourism training centers such as universities and other institutions. Ease of access to institutions providing courses or training should also be ensured. Courses or training should focus on issues related to tour guiding and developing the skills of tour guides. These include content that fosters target knowledge, professional ethics and attitudes, communication skills (including multi-lingual skills), organization, collaborative skills, empathy and understanding, problem-solving, adaptability, and the ability to improvise. Slow courses or training in terms of technical knowledge about existing destinations and attractions should also be included. Potential tour guides should have a proper understanding of the culture and social background of tourists, common issues and managing a group of people with diverse cultures, and at the same time, have a sincere and compassionate attitude towards providing tourism services. This should also be included as part of training or even as part of certification/licensing assessments. Incentives should also be provided as incentives for tour guides to take professional courses. Some incentives can include offers for secure and permanent employment in travel and tourism agencies. A reasonable salary system based on the professional skills and working abilities of tour guides should be established by travel and tourism agencies. With this salary, it provides an incentive for tour guides to maintain their performance. Considering the feedback from tourists participating in guided tours, reasonable rewards can also be received for tour guides, thus encouraging them to work. The relevant authorities can establish the tour guide profession as an official discipline. By doing so, they can require people to have a valid license to act as a tour guide. The performance of tour guides should be continuously monitored based on feedback received from tourists participating in a tour. It is only necessary to have a suitable means of monitoring the tour guides. Monitoring can be integrated during the license renewal process in addition to performance-based evaluation report sheets or recommendations of travel agencies. This also ensures the optimal quality of services provided. Tour guides should know their role as representatives of a particular country or destination. Therefore, considering tourists' needs, specific desires and cultural differences, they should make the most significant possible effort to provide quality and complete services. They must also recognize their responsibility in entertaining tourists, providing interpretations or insights about various attractions, and facilitating ongoing tour activities while maintaining service quality standards. Tour guides must be adaptable and keep up with the changing times and technological advancements to contribute to promoting the tourism industry. It is recommended that tour guides encourage tourists participating in their tours to provide feedback for future improvements in the field of tourism services provided. Tour guides must fulfill their responsibilities and promote their destination to ensure success in the tourism industry in Iran. Funding There is no funding support. Authors’ Contribution the author approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work. Conflict of Interest The Authors declared no conflict of interest. Acknowledgements The authors appreciate to all the scientific consultants of this paper. A B S T R A C T Tour guides can be considered ambassadors of countries and tourist destinations, who play a significant role in ensuring the satisfaction of tourists, the image of the destination and the return of tourists. The recognition of tourist destinations is highly dependent on the performance of tour guides. This research seeks to evaluate the relationship between the role of tour guides in promoting tourism and its relationship in creating a good image of the destination and increasing the willingness of tourists to visit again in Iran. The above will be reviewed, considering the tour guides' satisfaction as a mediator. This research was carried out using the integrated technique of ISM and SEM, and data were collected from 11 academic experts and tourism sector activists and 86 domestic and foreign tourists who visited Iran's attractions and using online structured questionnaires. The results indicate a positive and direct relationship between the role of tour guides in promoting tourism and the destination's image. In addition, a direct effect was found between the promotional role of tour guides and tourists’ revisit intention. In this article, the mediating role of guided tours was also confirmed. In addition, the importance of tour guides in promoting the image of the destination and the tourist's intention to revisit has been highlighted in this study. The determined findings are expected to help improve the performance of tour guides in promoting tourism Extended Abstract Introduction Tourism is a multifaceted industry that continues through joint efforts between different stakeholders. Tour guides are key stakeholders in the industry as they guide tourists in providing insight into a country and its attractions. This case also includes a country's cultural and traditional contexts, the suggestions provided, the rules and regulations, and other expected behavioral characteristics that must be followed. Iran can be a desirable tourist destination in Asia due to its natural attractions along with historical and cultural attractions and heritage. At the forefront of the tourism industry, tour guides bring many benefits to a country with their goodwill. They represent a country's unique history and are the nation's spokesperson for their cultural heritage. Travel agencies and tourist destinations provide services such as translating, providing information, and templates, leading tours and cultural brokerage, and organizing tours. With their knowledge and interpretations, tour guides play a significant role in enriching the individual knowledge level of tourists and can promote the trip to a central learning experience. Zhang and Chow (2014) have outlined how tour guides provide tourists with the “moment of truth” that can make a trip enjoyable or an unpleasant experience for them. Therefore, providing a satisfactory travel experience to tourists can be considered a determining factor for the success of a travel agency, which also affects the image of the destination, tourist behavior and loyalty. In addition, tour guides help in marketing and branding, leading to new businesses and jobs. The main purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate the structural relationships between the "advertising role of tour guides, destination image and tourist's revisit intention". The mediating role of tourist satisfaction as an outcome of guided tours will also be assessed. Other goals that we are trying to achieve in this research are (1) highlighting the role of tour guides in promoting tourism to help develop the destination's image and reputation among tourists; (2) designing a model to investigate the interrelationship between the promotional role of tour guides, levels of satisfaction with guided tours, destination image and tourists' revisit intention; (3) testing mutual relationships in the model based on data collected from domestic and foreign tourists who have visited Iranian attractions; (4) Investigating the mediating effects of tour guide satisfaction on the interrelationship between tour guides' performance, destination image, and tourists' revisit intention; and finally (5) discussing and presenting suggestions for improving the performance of tour guides in the field of tourism promotion. Methodology The present research is applied research in terms of direction and in terms of the type and method of collecting survey-descriptive information. The method of data collection is through questionnaires and library studies. Structural-interpretive modelling and structural equation modelling are used to present the model and analyze the data. Results and discussion This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge related to the performance of tour guides, as it is one of the few studies that presents a structural model through PLS-SEM that examines the relationship between the role of tour guides in tourism promotion, destination image, and tourist revisit intention. It describes tourists' satisfaction with guided tours through These hypotheses were investigated with the SEM approach, and all were confirmed. This research concludes that tour guides are the heart and soul of the tourism industry. They contribute to the many factors that encourage the success of the industry by providing high-quality services that have the potential to increase tourist satisfaction. At the forefront of the industry, they are critical players in developing tourists' destination image and behavioral intentions. Conclusion There are several suggestions to improve the behavior and performance of tour guides in Iran in order to maintain the image of the country's destination in the eyes of tourists and increase the intention of tourists to visit again. Basic formal courses and continuing professional education should be introduced by relevant authorities such as the Ministry of Tourism, travel and tourism agencies, hotels, tourism training centers such as universities and other institutions. Ease of access to institutions providing courses or training should also be ensured. Courses or training should focus on issues related to tour guiding and developing the skills of tour guides. These include content that fosters target knowledge, professional ethics and attitudes, communication skills (including multi-lingual skills), organization, collaborative skills, empathy and understanding, problem-solving, adaptability, and the ability to improvise. Slow courses or training in terms of technical knowledge about existing destinations and attractions should also be included. Potential tour guides should have a proper understanding of the culture and social background of tourists, common issues and managing a group of people with diverse cultures, and at the same time, have a sincere and compassionate attitude towards providing tourism services. This should also be included as part of training or even as part of certification/licensing assessments. Incentives should also be provided as incentives for tour guides to take professional courses. Some incentives can include offers for secure and permanent employment in travel and tourism agencies. A reasonable salary system based on the professional skills and working abilities of tour guides should be established by travel and tourism agencies. With this salary, it provides an incentive for tour guides to maintain their performance. Considering the feedback from tourists participating in guided tours, reasonable rewards can also be received for tour guides, thus encouraging them to work. The relevant authorities can establish the tour guide profession as an official discipline. By doing so, they can require people to have a valid license to act as a tour guide. The performance of tour guides should be continuously monitored based on feedback received from tourists participating in a tour. It is only necessary to have a suitable means of monitoring the tour guides. Monitoring can be integrated during the license renewal process in addition to performance-based evaluation report sheets or recommendations of travel agencies. This also ensures the optimal quality of services provided. Tour guides should know their role as representatives of a particular country or destination. Therefore, considering tourists' needs, specific desires and cultural differences, they should make the most significant possible effort to provide quality and complete services. They must also recognize their responsibility in entertaining tourists, providing interpretations or insights about various attractions, and facilitating ongoing tour activities while maintaining service quality standards. Tour guides must be adaptable and keep up with the changing times and technological advancements to contribute to promoting the tourism industry. It is recommended that tour guides encourage tourists participating in their tours to provide feedback for future improvements in the field of tourism services provided. Tour guides must fulfill their responsibilities and promote their destination to ensure success in the tourism industry in Iran. Funding There is no funding support. Authors’ Contribution the author approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work. Conflict of Interest The Authors declared no conflict of interest. Acknowledgements The authors appreciate to all the scientific consultants of this paper.

https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_93871_ebdc74f717f9a31ec920c98f205168ac.pdf

Faculty of Geography- University of Tehran urban tourism 2423-6926 10 3 2023 10 28 Clarifying the Impact of Place Branding on the Components of the Tourism Experience of Health Tourists Studied in Tehran Clarifying the Impact of Place Branding on the Components of the Tourism Experience of Health Tourists Studied in Tehran 49 67 94654 10.22059/jut.2023.363958.1150 FA Mahta Ajilchi Department of Business Management, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran Hassan Esmaeilpour Department of Business Management, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Hamidreza Saeidnia Department of Business management, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 23 A B S T R A C T Branding a place is a process that affects the experience of tourists by creating a strong identity and recognition for a place, and by highlighting the unique features of places and attracting the attention of tourists and other stakeholders, it can attract more tourists and economic development. Based on this, the present study aims to investigate the impact of place branding on the components of the tourism experience of health tourists studied in Tehran. In this research, an attempt was made to analyze the effect of place branding on the components of the tourism experience of health tourists studied in Tehran. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. The statistical population of the study consisted of incoming tourists to Tehran; due to the lack of accurate statistics on the number of incoming tourists, in order to determine the sample size, Cochran's formula was used for the unlimited population, and the sample size was estimated to be 384 people. The validity of the research tool was calculated using the confirmatory factor analysis model, and its reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha. Data was analyzed using SPSS and SMART PLS software with descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. The findings showed that place branding has a positive and significant effect on the attractiveness, accessibility, accommodation facilities and activities of the health tourism experience of Tehran health tourists. Among the studied variables, place branding had the most significant effect on the attractiveness of the tourist experience, with a path coefficient value of 0.643 and the least effect on the facilities and activities variable, with a path coefficient value of 0.472. Based on the findings of this research, it can be concluded that the policy makers and planners of the tourism field of Tehran city need to plan in the field of place branding and defining the branding of the health tourism field in order to create the ground for attracting tourists and Benefit from the benefits of tourism development. Extended Abstract Introduction Tehran, having many beauty and cosmetic centers, provides services for the care and makeup of the body and face. Also, this city hosts entertainment and welfare centers that provide opportunities for rest, recreation and relaxation. On the other hand, Tehran provides important educational and research facilities with prominent universities and research centers in medical sciences. These centers contribute to developing public health awareness and knowledge by working on advanced research, new technologies and higher education. Due to these capabilities, Tehran can become an outstanding destination in the health tourism industry by using appropriate marketing strategies and cooperation with related industries. These efforts will be effective in attracting healthy tourists, improving the local economy, improving the image of Tehran and increasing its reputation inside and outside the country. Branding a place as one of the essential solutions in developing health tourism and improving the experiences of health tourists in Tehran has a significant effect. Based on this, since Tehran, as the capital of the country and one of the most populated and busy cities of Iran, has some favorable characteristics in the development of health tourism, branding a place in this city can guarantee the improvement of the experience of health tourists and have a positive effect on to develop this industry. Based on this, it is necessary to conduct a proper study on the effects of research variables in Tehran. According to this necessity, in the present research, the main question of the research is raised as follows: -What is the effect of place branding on the components of the tourism experience of health tourists in Tehran? Methodology The current research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. In order to collect data, library and field methods were used. The statistical population of the study consisted of tourists entering Tehran; due to the lack of accurate statistics on the number of incoming tourists, in order to determine the sample size, Cochran's formula was used for an unlimited population, and the sample size was estimated to be 384 people. The sampling method was sampling. It was a simple accident. In order to collect field data, a questionnaire was used. In this research, structural equation modeling software was used to analyze the data. Results and discussion Concerning the effect of place branding on the attractiveness of the tourism experience, the results indicate that the value of the T statistic obtained is equal to 17.431, so this value is greater than 1.96, and it can be said that place branding affects the attractiveness of the tourism experience. Also, the obtained path coefficient equals (β=0.643); since the obtained path coefficient is positive, this effect is direct. Concerning the effect of place branding on the accessibility component of the tourism experience of health tourists in Tehran, the results indicate that the value of the T statistic obtained is equal to 14.081, so this value is greater than 1.96. It can be said that place branding has the accessibility component of Tehran's health tourism experience has a significant impact. Also, the obtained path coefficient equals (β=0.594); since the obtained path coefficient is positive, this effect is direct. In relation to the effect of place branding on the component of the stay experience of health tourists in Tehran, the results indicate that the value of the T statistic obtained is equal to 10.405, so this value is greater than 1.96. It can be said that place branding has a significant effect on the tourist experience of health tourists in Tehran. The obtained path coefficient equals (β=0.484); since the obtained path coefficient is positive, this effect is direct. In relation to the effect of place branding on the facilities and activities component of the tourism experience of health tourists in Tehran, the results indicate that the value of the T statistic obtained is equal to 11.422, so this value is greater than 1.96. It can be said that place branding has a significant effect on the facilities and activities component of the tourism experience of health tourists in Tehran. The obtained path coefficient equals (β=0.472); since the obtained path coefficient is positive, this effect is direct. Conclusion Health tourism destinations can provide remote medical consultation and follow-up care to patients after returning home. This can enhance the overall experience of health tourists and provide them with ongoing support. Adherence to such principles in health tourism destinations such as Tehran improves the quality of tourists' stay and guarantees a positive experience for health tourists. Finally, based on the results of the research, place branding can be effective in increasing facilities and activities in tourism destinations. Based on this, health tourism destinations should invest in improving their medical facilities to meet international standards. It includes advanced equipment, trained medical staff and modern hospital infrastructure. Also, health tourism destinations should offer a wide range of treatments and services such as medical treatments, health programs and alternative treatments to meet the needs of different patients. On the other hand, health tourism destinations should provide a comprehensive experience for their patients by offering activities such as yoga, meditation, outdoor activities and healthy foods that promote physical, mental and emotional well-being. 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. A B S T R A C T Branding a place is a process that affects the experience of tourists by creating a strong identity and recognition for a place, and by highlighting the unique features of places and attracting the attention of tourists and other stakeholders, it can attract more tourists and economic development. Based on this, the present study aims to investigate the impact of place branding on the components of the tourism experience of health tourists studied in Tehran. In this research, an attempt was made to analyze the effect of place branding on the components of the tourism experience of health tourists studied in Tehran. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. The statistical population of the study consisted of incoming tourists to Tehran; due to the lack of accurate statistics on the number of incoming tourists, in order to determine the sample size, Cochran's formula was used for the unlimited population, and the sample size was estimated to be 384 people. The validity of the research tool was calculated using the confirmatory factor analysis model, and its reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha. Data was analyzed using SPSS and SMART PLS software with descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. The findings showed that place branding has a positive and significant effect on the attractiveness, accessibility, accommodation facilities and activities of the health tourism experience of Tehran health tourists. Among the studied variables, place branding had the most significant effect on the attractiveness of the tourist experience, with a path coefficient value of 0.643 and the least effect on the facilities and activities variable, with a path coefficient value of 0.472. Based on the findings of this research, it can be concluded that the policy makers and planners of the tourism field of Tehran city need to plan in the field of place branding and defining the branding of the health tourism field in order to create the ground for attracting tourists and Benefit from the benefits of tourism development. Extended Abstract Introduction Tehran, having many beauty and cosmetic centers, provides services for the care and makeup of the body and face. Also, this city hosts entertainment and welfare centers that provide opportunities for rest, recreation and relaxation. On the other hand, Tehran provides important educational and research facilities with prominent universities and research centers in medical sciences. These centers contribute to developing public health awareness and knowledge by working on advanced research, new technologies and higher education. Due to these capabilities, Tehran can become an outstanding destination in the health tourism industry by using appropriate marketing strategies and cooperation with related industries. These efforts will be effective in attracting healthy tourists, improving the local economy, improving the image of Tehran and increasing its reputation inside and outside the country. Branding a place as one of the essential solutions in developing health tourism and improving the experiences of health tourists in Tehran has a significant effect. Based on this, since Tehran, as the capital of the country and one of the most populated and busy cities of Iran, has some favorable characteristics in the development of health tourism, branding a place in this city can guarantee the improvement of the experience of health tourists and have a positive effect on to develop this industry. Based on this, it is necessary to conduct a proper study on the effects of research variables in Tehran. According to this necessity, in the present research, the main question of the research is raised as follows: -What is the effect of place branding on the components of the tourism experience of health tourists in Tehran? Methodology The current research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. In order to collect data, library and field methods were used. The statistical population of the study consisted of tourists entering Tehran; due to the lack of accurate statistics on the number of incoming tourists, in order to determine the sample size, Cochran's formula was used for an unlimited population, and the sample size was estimated to be 384 people. The sampling method was sampling. It was a simple accident. In order to collect field data, a questionnaire was used. In this research, structural equation modeling software was used to analyze the data. Results and discussion Concerning the effect of place branding on the attractiveness of the tourism experience, the results indicate that the value of the T statistic obtained is equal to 17.431, so this value is greater than 1.96, and it can be said that place branding affects the attractiveness of the tourism experience. Also, the obtained path coefficient equals (β=0.643); since the obtained path coefficient is positive, this effect is direct. Concerning the effect of place branding on the accessibility component of the tourism experience of health tourists in Tehran, the results indicate that the value of the T statistic obtained is equal to 14.081, so this value is greater than 1.96. It can be said that place branding has the accessibility component of Tehran's health tourism experience has a significant impact. Also, the obtained path coefficient equals (β=0.594); since the obtained path coefficient is positive, this effect is direct. In relation to the effect of place branding on the component of the stay experience of health tourists in Tehran, the results indicate that the value of the T statistic obtained is equal to 10.405, so this value is greater than 1.96. It can be said that place branding has a significant effect on the tourist experience of health tourists in Tehran. The obtained path coefficient equals (β=0.484); since the obtained path coefficient is positive, this effect is direct. In relation to the effect of place branding on the facilities and activities component of the tourism experience of health tourists in Tehran, the results indicate that the value of the T statistic obtained is equal to 11.422, so this value is greater than 1.96. It can be said that place branding has a significant effect on the facilities and activities component of the tourism experience of health tourists in Tehran. The obtained path coefficient equals (β=0.472); since the obtained path coefficient is positive, this effect is direct. Conclusion Health tourism destinations can provide remote medical consultation and follow-up care to patients after returning home. This can enhance the overall experience of health tourists and provide them with ongoing support. Adherence to such principles in health tourism destinations such as Tehran improves the quality of tourists' stay and guarantees a positive experience for health tourists. Finally, based on the results of the research, place branding can be effective in increasing facilities and activities in tourism destinations. Based on this, health tourism destinations should invest in improving their medical facilities to meet international standards. It includes advanced equipment, trained medical staff and modern hospital infrastructure. Also, health tourism destinations should offer a wide range of treatments and services such as medical treatments, health programs and alternative treatments to meet the needs of different patients. On the other hand, health tourism destinations should provide a comprehensive experience for their patients by offering activities such as yoga, meditation, outdoor activities and healthy foods that promote physical, mental and emotional well-being. 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.

https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_94654_f83381e539186a3b15f8c12250a76289.pdf

Faculty of Geography- University of Tehran urban tourism 2423-6926 10 3 2023 10 28 Analysis of Factors Affecting Tourism Development in Khorramabad County by Structural Analysis Method Analysis of Factors Affecting Tourism Development in Khorramabad County by Structural Analysis Method 69 88 95017 10.22059/jut.2023.358852.1131 FA Leila Khademi Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Hassan Izady Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Ali Soltani Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 23 A B S T R A C T Nowadays, the tourism industry is recognized as a leading sector and driving force for the development of most societies. Optimal planning and development of this sector requires sufficient knowledge and understanding of the issues and factors affecting this industry's development and its future changes. This study aims to identify the factors affecting tourism development with a structural analysis method in Khorramabad County. In terms of purpose, the present study is practical, and its nature is analytical-exploratory with future study approaches. Also, the data collection was in the form of documents and fields. The statistical population of this study was experts and specialists, and 14 people were selected by snowball sampling method. The structural analysis method and Micmac software have been used to analyze the data obtained from the questionnaire of experts and specialists. The results show that among the 37 identified factors, 12 key factors had a more significant impact on tourism development in Khorramabad County, which should be considered in the planning and development of the tourism industry of this county. These factors include hospitality culture, training of experts in the field of tourism, tourism development policies, and plans, participation of citizens, expansion of tours and travel agencies, advertising and marketing expansion, entrepreneurship boom and business environment in tourism, private investment, competitiveness in attracting tourists, variety of tourist attractions and places, tourism branding, the amount of the annual budget allocated by the government in the tourism Extended Abstract Introduction Nowadays, tourism is known as a dynamic, relatively clean industry and an economic driver in the new age, which is considered a key factor for economic growth in the 21st century. Some tourist destinations have been able to gain a superior position in earning potential and actual incomes due to their natural, cultural and historical advantages and wise planning. Although tourism is one of the best options to achieve economic development, it is one of the most vulnerable industries in the face of crises. Therefore, considering the importance of the tourism industry in terms of economic development and the damage and stagnation it has suffered in the last few years due to the emergence of COVID-19, planning for it is very important. Future studies of tourism development provides an opportunity to reduce the complexity of planning in this industry by identifying key factors, and in this way, the planner can open a way to solve problems and develop tourism with control and management in the light of future studies. Khorramabad county, despite its potential as a tourism area, is considered one of the fourth most deprived provinces in the country. Also, due to the spread of COVID-19 in the last few years, the tourism industry in this county has declined so that in the spring of 2021, the number of tourists in this county decreased drastically. All this highlights the importance of planning and restoring tourism in this destination to ultimately facilitate economic growth and improve the quality of life of the region's people. Therefore, according to the unfavorable conditions of tourism in the region, it is necessary to plan tourism with different management and according to the specific capacities of the destination with a view to the future. This kind of future-oriented planning leads to scientific, systematic, and logical decision-making concerning the potential of tourism development of this destination and determines what facilities and facilities tourism needs according to the location of the destination and what factors influence the expansion of tourism development. Therefore, this research aims to identify the key factors affecting the development of tourism in Khorramabad county with the method of structural analysis. Methodology In terms of purpose, the present study is practical, and its nature is analytical-exploratory. Also, the data collection was in the form of documents and fields. The statistical population of this study was experts and specialists in the field of tourism and planning. The sampling method was done using a non-probability and purposeful method. The selection of qualified experts was done through the snowball sampling method so that a few experts were first selected and then asked to introduce other people. The statistical is 14 people, all aware of the county's tourism conditions. In order to analyze the data, Micmac software has been used to calculate the cross-impact matrix. Results and discussion In order to identify the most important indicators in tourism development in Khorramabad county, 37 indicators were first identified through the investigation of literature review, theoretical foundations, and with the help of experts, which include these sections as socio-cultural, tourist attractions, management and planning, environmental factors, infrastructural-service and economic-political. Then, 14 questionnaires were provided to the experts, whose output was analyzed through the structural analysis method and with the help of Micmac software. The distribution of variables affecting tourism development in the dispersion page indicates the system's instability, so five categories of variables (influential, two-dimensional, regulatory, impressible, and independent) can be identified. Based on the characteristics of each variable, influential variables (because they are the most influential indicators) and risk variables (because they have a great capacity to become key factors of the system) were selected as the most critical factors. Finally, based on the analysis, 12 main factors affecting the development of the tourism industry in Khorramabad county were obtained, which are hospitality culture and quality of hospitality services, training of experts in the field of tourism, tourism development policies and plans, and coordination between relevant institutions, participation of citizens, expansion of tours and travel agencies, advertising and marketing expansion, entrepreneurship boom and business environment in tourism, private investment, competitiveness in attracting tourists, variety of tourist attractions and places, tourism branding, the amount of the annual budget allocated by the government in tourism industry and infrastructure facilities. Conclusion Today, the tourism industry is a multidimensional and comprehensive industry that can influence many regional issues and cause growth and development. This research aims to identify the key factors affecting the future of tourism development in Khorramabad county with the structural analysis method. For this purpose, Micmac software was used to identify the key factors with the mentioned method. As mentioned earlier, this research has found 12 effective key factors for the growth and development of tourism in Khorramabad county, which should be included in the agenda of future planning. These factors have been proposed in various fields that can cause an all-round development, but realizing this requires coordination between all factors and their development and expansion. Therefore, achieving a favorable future requires the use of these factors, which should be taken into consideration by tourism planners, organizations, and institutions. Finally, research proposals derived from key tourism development factors were also presented. In order to achieve the goals of this research, there were some limitations, among which we can mention the extensiveness and time-consumingness of filling out the questionnaire (a 37*37 matrix), which led to a limited number of people willing to cooperate in this research. 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. A B S T R A C T Nowadays, the tourism industry is recognized as a leading sector and driving force for the development of most societies. Optimal planning and development of this sector requires sufficient knowledge and understanding of the issues and factors affecting this industry's development and its future changes. This study aims to identify the factors affecting tourism development with a structural analysis method in Khorramabad County. In terms of purpose, the present study is practical, and its nature is analytical-exploratory with future study approaches. Also, the data collection was in the form of documents and fields. The statistical population of this study was experts and specialists, and 14 people were selected by snowball sampling method. The structural analysis method and Micmac software have been used to analyze the data obtained from the questionnaire of experts and specialists. The results show that among the 37 identified factors, 12 key factors had a more significant impact on tourism development in Khorramabad County, which should be considered in the planning and development of the tourism industry of this county. These factors include hospitality culture, training of experts in the field of tourism, tourism development policies, and plans, participation of citizens, expansion of tours and travel agencies, advertising and marketing expansion, entrepreneurship boom and business environment in tourism, private investment, competitiveness in attracting tourists, variety of tourist attractions and places, tourism branding, the amount of the annual budget allocated by the government in the tourism Extended Abstract Introduction Nowadays, tourism is known as a dynamic, relatively clean industry and an economic driver in the new age, which is considered a key factor for economic growth in the 21st century. Some tourist destinations have been able to gain a superior position in earning potential and actual incomes due to their natural, cultural and historical advantages and wise planning. Although tourism is one of the best options to achieve economic development, it is one of the most vulnerable industries in the face of crises. Therefore, considering the importance of the tourism industry in terms of economic development and the damage and stagnation it has suffered in the last few years due to the emergence of COVID-19, planning for it is very important. Future studies of tourism development provides an opportunity to reduce the complexity of planning in this industry by identifying key factors, and in this way, the planner can open a way to solve problems and develop tourism with control and management in the light of future studies. Khorramabad county, despite its potential as a tourism area, is considered one of the fourth most deprived provinces in the country. Also, due to the spread of COVID-19 in the last few years, the tourism industry in this county has declined so that in the spring of 2021, the number of tourists in this county decreased drastically. All this highlights the importance of planning and restoring tourism in this destination to ultimately facilitate economic growth and improve the quality of life of the region's people. Therefore, according to the unfavorable conditions of tourism in the region, it is necessary to plan tourism with different management and according to the specific capacities of the destination with a view to the future. This kind of future-oriented planning leads to scientific, systematic, and logical decision-making concerning the potential of tourism development of this destination and determines what facilities and facilities tourism needs according to the location of the destination and what factors influence the expansion of tourism development. Therefore, this research aims to identify the key factors affecting the development of tourism in Khorramabad county with the method of structural analysis. Methodology In terms of purpose, the present study is practical, and its nature is analytical-exploratory. Also, the data collection was in the form of documents and fields. The statistical population of this study was experts and specialists in the field of tourism and planning. The sampling method was done using a non-probability and purposeful method. The selection of qualified experts was done through the snowball sampling method so that a few experts were first selected and then asked to introduce other people. The statistical is 14 people, all aware of the county's tourism conditions. In order to analyze the data, Micmac software has been used to calculate the cross-impact matrix. Results and discussion In order to identify the most important indicators in tourism development in Khorramabad county, 37 indicators were first identified through the investigation of literature review, theoretical foundations, and with the help of experts, which include these sections as socio-cultural, tourist attractions, management and planning, environmental factors, infrastructural-service and economic-political. Then, 14 questionnaires were provided to the experts, whose output was analyzed through the structural analysis method and with the help of Micmac software. The distribution of variables affecting tourism development in the dispersion page indicates the system's instability, so five categories of variables (influential, two-dimensional, regulatory, impressible, and independent) can be identified. Based on the characteristics of each variable, influential variables (because they are the most influential indicators) and risk variables (because they have a great capacity to become key factors of the system) were selected as the most critical factors. Finally, based on the analysis, 12 main factors affecting the development of the tourism industry in Khorramabad county were obtained, which are hospitality culture and quality of hospitality services, training of experts in the field of tourism, tourism development policies and plans, and coordination between relevant institutions, participation of citizens, expansion of tours and travel agencies, advertising and marketing expansion, entrepreneurship boom and business environment in tourism, private investment, competitiveness in attracting tourists, variety of tourist attractions and places, tourism branding, the amount of the annual budget allocated by the government in tourism industry and infrastructure facilities. Conclusion Today, the tourism industry is a multidimensional and comprehensive industry that can influence many regional issues and cause growth and development. This research aims to identify the key factors affecting the future of tourism development in Khorramabad county with the structural analysis method. For this purpose, Micmac software was used to identify the key factors with the mentioned method. As mentioned earlier, this research has found 12 effective key factors for the growth and development of tourism in Khorramabad county, which should be included in the agenda of future planning. These factors have been proposed in various fields that can cause an all-round development, but realizing this requires coordination between all factors and their development and expansion. Therefore, achieving a favorable future requires the use of these factors, which should be taken into consideration by tourism planners, organizations, and institutions. Finally, research proposals derived from key tourism development factors were also presented. In order to achieve the goals of this research, there were some limitations, among which we can mention the extensiveness and time-consumingness of filling out the questionnaire (a 37*37 matrix), which led to a limited number of people willing to cooperate in this research. 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.

https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_95017_e91710e9f3334d3c2a3cac4aafa71ff0.pdf

Faculty of Geography- University of Tehran urban tourism 2423-6926 10 3 2023 10 29 Gap Analysis Between Expectations and Current Status of Handicrafts Production and Sales with Cultural Heritage Tourism Approach the Case Study A Amol County Gap Analysis Between Expectations and Current Status of Handicrafts Production and Sales with Cultural Heritage Tourism Approach the Case Study A Amol County 89 110 94976 10.22059/jut.2020.297747.773 FA Mohammad Hasan Zaal Department of Tourism management, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran Mehdi Ramezanzadeh Lasboyee Department of Tourism management, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 24 A B S T R A C T The boom in manufacturing and sales of handicrafts depends on the provision of requirements that are directly linked to the development of cultural heritage tourism. Aside from the special status of handicrafts in the region's unique cultural industries, this industry plays a vital role in promoting local businesses and employment in the tourism industry. Today, many countries are looking for specialty and high-quality packaging to sell handicrafts, in addition to marketing their products that lead to successful tourist satisfaction. Therefore, it can be demonstrated that it can take a major step in the cultural heritage tourism development by examining the current supply and demand of handicrafts in a region and the expected conditions of tourists to buy handicrafts. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the gap between the current and desirable status of manufacturing and sales of handicrafts with the heritage tourism approach in Amol county. Current research is descriptive-analytic and is based on documentary and field studies. Field studies of the research consist of designing and distributing questionnaires in Amol County. These questionnaires were filled up by 390 tourists that visited from Amol handicrafts. SPSS software was used to process the data, and based on the nature of the data and research objective, paired T-tests and Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze the data. Significance level and averages calculated in all cases showed a meaningful gap between expectations and the current status of Amol county’s handicrafts market. Likewise, the most meaningful gap from tourists’ perspective exists in the cultural effectiveness within variables such as attractiveness, authenticity, identity, quality, creativity, artistic style, and antiquity. Other results of the research show a gap between internal variables components such as supply quality, way of presentation, and degree of cultural effectiveness, transportation competence and royalty extent in handicrafts sales markets of Amol County Extended Abstract Introduction Handicrafts are a part of cultural products that reflect the traditional lifestyle of human societies. Getting to know the traditional life style and the cultural identity of communities is one of the most important attractions in the field of heritage tourism, and these attractions can be presented in the best way through handicrafts and cultural products. Therefore, handicrafts are known as cultural industries in the field of tourism. Regardless of the cultural burden of handicrafts, this industry is considered one of the economic capacities in the development of tourism. The economic benefits of tourism is one of the most important goals of the development of this industry, and the prosperity of the handicrafts market plays an important role in fulfilling this goal. The result of the interaction between handicrafts and the tourism industry is small-scale and private entrepreneurship. Mazandaran; It is the tourism hub of Iran and one of the richest areas for the production and sale of handicrafts, and the city of Amol has created the best possibility for the sale of handicraft products due to its central and transiting location. Undoubtedly, by creating platforms for the sale of handicraft products, in accordance with the position of Mazandaran in the field of tourism in Iran and the effective management of existing resources, it is possible to create a huge transformation in the economy of the residents of its cities, including the city of Amol. The main goal of the current research is to analyze the state of handicrafts market with the approach of heritage tourism in Amol city. Methodology The current research is applied in terms of purpose and based on descriptive-analytical nature. The data of this has been collected by documentary and field method and interpreted by descriptive-analytical method. The opinions of 390 tourists in the form of a questionnaire consisting of 5 criteria of the quality of supply, the way of presentation, the degree of cultural influence, the ability to transport and the degree of loyalty of tourists to revisit the destination, were classified and collected in the form of a questionnaire and It was processed using SPSS statistical software. Also, to understand the status of the gap between two situations, Wilcoxon's rank difference tests and paired t-parametric test were used, and Friedman's test was used to rank variables. Results and discussion There is a significant difference between the current and desired situation of the supply of cultural and handicraft products from the point of view of tourists. The most basic reason for this situation is the lack of proper understanding of the marketing of handicraft products and the quality of its stores. Misunderstanding and misrecognition of the situation of tourists during the trip, especially in the final stages of the trip, which is the season for buying souvenirs and gifts, is also mentioned as another reason for the situation. In this sense, at the end of the trip, tourists tend to transfer some of the culture of the destination to the origin by buying cultural products that are a sign of the destination and its culture. In this situation, the quality of access, variety, originality, transportability and many other components are very important. On the other hand, Amol Shahri Tratisi is the gateway to the coastal cities and one of the exit axes for tourists from the coastal areas to Tehran and southern Iran. This characteristic of Amol city has created sensitivities for it. This means that the tourists passing through this city expect to have easy access to souvenirs and handicrafts of the region in this terminal. To the mentioned factors, travel fatigue and the remaining economic power of tourists should be added, which have a significant effect on purchasing motives. Therefore, it is expected that the state of handicraft stores in Amol will meet all the needs of diverse customers in terms of shape, color, size, transportability, packaging, etc. But Amol's performance is not evaluated to meet the mentioned needs. From the point of view of tourists, the criterion of cultural influence with the components of attractiveness, originality, identity, quality, creativity, artistic style and age has the biggest gap between the expectations of tourists and the current situation. The field evidence also shows that in these handicrafts supply centers, products are seen which are generally imported and without specific identity and can be found everywhere, but the supply of local handicrafts in them is very limited. it's limited. In fact, it can be said that the main damage of this area is the neglect of authenticity and identity as the fundamental factor of tourists' desire to buy handicrafts. Basically, it is cultural identity and originality hidden in handicrafts and cultural products, which creates the motivation to devote time to visit the stores and the subsequent increase in purchase. Conclusion The correct understanding of the terminal position of Amel city, the nature of handicrafts as cultural products, the willingness of tourists to buy cultural products as gifts are among the effective factors in creating a gap between the current situation and Desirable is the craft market. In connection with the challenges facing the growth and development of handicrafts in compliance with the quantitative goals of tourism in destinations such as Amel city, which is on the route of tourists to specific tourism destinations based on nature, it can be acknowledged that not having a specific strategy at the level In the field of handicrafts marketing, the province is weak in identifying local producers and organizing them and weak in supporting the activists of this sector as the most important reasons for the weak role of this sector in generating employment and earning income from the tourism sector, and in the following We can raise the weakness of tourism infrastructure such as planning for location and marketing problem. 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. A B S T R A C T The boom in manufacturing and sales of handicrafts depends on the provision of requirements that are directly linked to the development of cultural heritage tourism. Aside from the special status of handicrafts in the region's unique cultural industries, this industry plays a vital role in promoting local businesses and employment in the tourism industry. Today, many countries are looking for specialty and high-quality packaging to sell handicrafts, in addition to marketing their products that lead to successful tourist satisfaction. Therefore, it can be demonstrated that it can take a major step in the cultural heritage tourism development by examining the current supply and demand of handicrafts in a region and the expected conditions of tourists to buy handicrafts. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the gap between the current and desirable status of manufacturing and sales of handicrafts with the heritage tourism approach in Amol county. Current research is descriptive-analytic and is based on documentary and field studies. Field studies of the research consist of designing and distributing questionnaires in Amol County. These questionnaires were filled up by 390 tourists that visited from Amol handicrafts. SPSS software was used to process the data, and based on the nature of the data and research objective, paired T-tests and Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze the data. Significance level and averages calculated in all cases showed a meaningful gap between expectations and the current status of Amol county’s handicrafts market. Likewise, the most meaningful gap from tourists’ perspective exists in the cultural effectiveness within variables such as attractiveness, authenticity, identity, quality, creativity, artistic style, and antiquity. Other results of the research show a gap between internal variables components such as supply quality, way of presentation, and degree of cultural effectiveness, transportation competence and royalty extent in handicrafts sales markets of Amol County Extended Abstract Introduction Handicrafts are a part of cultural products that reflect the traditional lifestyle of human societies. Getting to know the traditional life style and the cultural identity of communities is one of the most important attractions in the field of heritage tourism, and these attractions can be presented in the best way through handicrafts and cultural products. Therefore, handicrafts are known as cultural industries in the field of tourism. Regardless of the cultural burden of handicrafts, this industry is considered one of the economic capacities in the development of tourism. The economic benefits of tourism is one of the most important goals of the development of this industry, and the prosperity of the handicrafts market plays an important role in fulfilling this goal. The result of the interaction between handicrafts and the tourism industry is small-scale and private entrepreneurship. Mazandaran; It is the tourism hub of Iran and one of the richest areas for the production and sale of handicrafts, and the city of Amol has created the best possibility for the sale of handicraft products due to its central and transiting location. Undoubtedly, by creating platforms for the sale of handicraft products, in accordance with the position of Mazandaran in the field of tourism in Iran and the effective management of existing resources, it is possible to create a huge transformation in the economy of the residents of its cities, including the city of Amol. The main goal of the current research is to analyze the state of handicrafts market with the approach of heritage tourism in Amol city. Methodology The current research is applied in terms of purpose and based on descriptive-analytical nature. The data of this has been collected by documentary and field method and interpreted by descriptive-analytical method. The opinions of 390 tourists in the form of a questionnaire consisting of 5 criteria of the quality of supply, the way of presentation, the degree of cultural influence, the ability to transport and the degree of loyalty of tourists to revisit the destination, were classified and collected in the form of a questionnaire and It was processed using SPSS statistical software. Also, to understand the status of the gap between two situations, Wilcoxon's rank difference tests and paired t-parametric test were used, and Friedman's test was used to rank variables. Results and discussion There is a significant difference between the current and desired situation of the supply of cultural and handicraft products from the point of view of tourists. The most basic reason for this situation is the lack of proper understanding of the marketing of handicraft products and the quality of its stores. Misunderstanding and misrecognition of the situation of tourists during the trip, especially in the final stages of the trip, which is the season for buying souvenirs and gifts, is also mentioned as another reason for the situation. In this sense, at the end of the trip, tourists tend to transfer some of the culture of the destination to the origin by buying cultural products that are a sign of the destination and its culture. In this situation, the quality of access, variety, originality, transportability and many other components are very important. On the other hand, Amol Shahri Tratisi is the gateway to the coastal cities and one of the exit axes for tourists from the coastal areas to Tehran and southern Iran. This characteristic of Amol city has created sensitivities for it. This means that the tourists passing through this city expect to have easy access to souvenirs and handicrafts of the region in this terminal. To the mentioned factors, travel fatigue and the remaining economic power of tourists should be added, which have a significant effect on purchasing motives. Therefore, it is expected that the state of handicraft stores in Amol will meet all the needs of diverse customers in terms of shape, color, size, transportability, packaging, etc. But Amol's performance is not evaluated to meet the mentioned needs. From the point of view of tourists, the criterion of cultural influence with the components of attractiveness, originality, identity, quality, creativity, artistic style and age has the biggest gap between the expectations of tourists and the current situation. The field evidence also shows that in these handicrafts supply centers, products are seen which are generally imported and without specific identity and can be found everywhere, but the supply of local handicrafts in them is very limited. it's limited. In fact, it can be said that the main damage of this area is the neglect of authenticity and identity as the fundamental factor of tourists' desire to buy handicrafts. Basically, it is cultural identity and originality hidden in handicrafts and cultural products, which creates the motivation to devote time to visit the stores and the subsequent increase in purchase. Conclusion The correct understanding of the terminal position of Amel city, the nature of handicrafts as cultural products, the willingness of tourists to buy cultural products as gifts are among the effective factors in creating a gap between the current situation and Desirable is the craft market. In connection with the challenges facing the growth and development of handicrafts in compliance with the quantitative goals of tourism in destinations such as Amel city, which is on the route of tourists to specific tourism destinations based on nature, it can be acknowledged that not having a specific strategy at the level In the field of handicrafts marketing, the province is weak in identifying local producers and organizing them and weak in supporting the activists of this sector as the most important reasons for the weak role of this sector in generating employment and earning income from the tourism sector, and in the following We can raise the weakness of tourism infrastructure such as planning for location and marketing problem. 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.

https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_94976_8b1a6cf8ab5bef7937fb69e265086efc.pdf

Faculty of Geography- University of Tehran urban tourism 2423-6926 10 3 2023 10 30 Analysis of "Environmental Capacities" of Literary Tourism for Urban Tourism Development (Case Study: Tehran) Analysis of "Environmental Capacities" of Literary Tourism for Urban Tourism Development (Case Study: Tehran) 111 126 94975 10.22059/jut.2023.329336.941 FA Ali Movahed Department of Tourism, Faculty of Geography Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran Naser Rezai Department of Tourism, Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Tehran, Iran Fariba Gravandi Department of Tourism, Faculty of Geography Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 24 A B S T R A C T Literary tourism is one of the types of cultural tourism, the main purpose of which is to get to know the places related to the lives of writers, poets, artists and their works. Iran, having famous poets and writers, has suitable conditions for the development of literary tourism. In the meantime, Tehran has always been the focus of poets and writers of our country due to its political position and the presence of cultural and artistic centers. Therefore, it has great potential to create literary tourism. The analysis of literary tourism capacities is done at three levels: individual, organizational and environmental. The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze "environmental capacities" in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. The research method in carrying out this research is descriptive-analytical with practical purpose. In order to collect information, documentary and survey methods have been used. The statistical population of survey studies included two groups of literary tourists and the local community. The research findings showed that "types of literary tourism" are the most effective variable of environmental capacity in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. After that, "infrastructure" is the second priority. "Literary places" are also in the third category, less important than the two mentioned cases. The research results show that Tehran has a suitable environmental capacity for the creation and development of literary tourism, and this capacity can be the grounds for the development of tourism in Tehran Extended Abstract Introduction Cities always attract the attention of many tourists in terms of having a different environment and many tourist attractions. Cities have many recreational, commercial, historical and cultural centers. The cultural opportunities of cities play an essential role in attracting tourists. Today, cities are generators, inheritors and guardians of the culture of societies. Urban tourism is considered one of the types of cultural tourism, and cities are one of the most important centers of production, supply and consumption of cultural and artistic products. In addition, the diversity of cultural spaces in cities, such as museums, exhibitions, cinemas, theaters, libraries and other artistic and cultural spaces, makes many tourists come to the city to see these spaces and take advantage of their facilities. To develop tourism, its capacities must be examined from different aspects. Thus, "community capacity building" is recognized as an important tourism development strategy. Also, the success of tourism development requires the understanding of all stakeholders to invest in Jalma's capacities and the tourism industry. Without community capacity building, tourism development processes cannot be implemented. Therefore, capacity building parallels community development and is a common feature. Capacity development is a relatively new term that has become popular since the 1980s and gained prominence in the 1990s. Despite its novelty, as a complement to other ideas, it has influenced development thinking and continues to play an important role. These concepts include institutionalization, institutional development, human resource development, management and implementation of and improvement of institutional development. UNDP (2009) introduces capacity in three levels as environmental (an enabling environment), organizational (within organizations) and individual (within individuals). "Elements that are at the environmental level include formal institutions (laws, policies, rulings, membership regulations, etc.), informal institutions (customs, culture, norms, etc.), social capital and social infrastructure, and the capacities of individuals and Organizations. “Iran has a high potential for developing literary tourism by having famous poets and writers. Usually, compared to other urban destinations, capital cities have distinct environmental characteristics that distinguish them from other cities. Tehran is one of the cities that has always been the focus of the poets and writers of our country due to its political position and the presence of cultural-artistic centers. So, there are many houses of poets and writers in this city, which has been the place of residence and commuting of literary greats for many years. Therefore, this research examines environmental capacities in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. Methodology The research is practical in terms of purpose and descriptive in terms of nature. Also, in terms of the method of analysis, it has been done quantitatively with the library method and field studies (questionnaire). In order to assess the validity of the data, Cronbach's alpha test was used, and the validity of the questionnaire was high and valid. Results and discussion The Friedman test was used to compare the importance of these components. According to the statistical calculations, "types of literary tourism," with an average rank of 2.42, is the most effective variable of environmental capacity in the development of literary tourism in Tehran, followed by "infrastructure," with an average rank of 2.28 is in second place. "Literary places" is in the third place with an average rank of 1.30 and is less important than the two mentioned cases. The role of "environmental capacities" in the development of literary tourism in the eyes of the local community includes, respectively, "literary museums," "book cafes," and also "the birthplace and life of poets or writers." To compare the importance of these variables with the Friedman test showed that "Book Cafe," with an average rank of 2.26, is the most effective environmental capacity variable in the development of literary tourism in Tehran, followed by "place of birth and life of poets or writers" with an average rank of 1.91 is in the second degree of priority. "Literary museums" are in the third place with an average rank of 1.84 and are less important than the two mentioned above. The comparison of the importance of three capacities in the development of literary tourism from the point of view of two groups of tourists and the local community shows that both groups consider "organizational capacities" as the most effective factor in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. Conclusion The development of tourism capacities can play an important role in using different aspects of literary tourism. Capacity development also helps to solve or change problems and improve performance. The results show that "environmental capacities" are the most effective factor in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. Among the components of environmental capacity, "types of literary tourism" is the most effective variable of environmental capacity in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. Also, from the local community’s point of view, "Book Cafe" is the most effective variable of environmental capacity in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. From the tourists' point of view, in addition to environmental capacities, it is necessary to pay attention to "organizational capacities" for the development of Tehran's literary tourism. 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. A B S T R A C T Literary tourism is one of the types of cultural tourism, the main purpose of which is to get to know the places related to the lives of writers, poets, artists and their works. Iran, having famous poets and writers, has suitable conditions for the development of literary tourism. In the meantime, Tehran has always been the focus of poets and writers of our country due to its political position and the presence of cultural and artistic centers. Therefore, it has great potential to create literary tourism. The analysis of literary tourism capacities is done at three levels: individual, organizational and environmental. The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze "environmental capacities" in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. The research method in carrying out this research is descriptive-analytical with practical purpose. In order to collect information, documentary and survey methods have been used. The statistical population of survey studies included two groups of literary tourists and the local community. The research findings showed that "types of literary tourism" are the most effective variable of environmental capacity in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. After that, "infrastructure" is the second priority. "Literary places" are also in the third category, less important than the two mentioned cases. The research results show that Tehran has a suitable environmental capacity for the creation and development of literary tourism, and this capacity can be the grounds for the development of tourism in Tehran Extended Abstract Introduction Cities always attract the attention of many tourists in terms of having a different environment and many tourist attractions. Cities have many recreational, commercial, historical and cultural centers. The cultural opportunities of cities play an essential role in attracting tourists. Today, cities are generators, inheritors and guardians of the culture of societies. Urban tourism is considered one of the types of cultural tourism, and cities are one of the most important centers of production, supply and consumption of cultural and artistic products. In addition, the diversity of cultural spaces in cities, such as museums, exhibitions, cinemas, theaters, libraries and other artistic and cultural spaces, makes many tourists come to the city to see these spaces and take advantage of their facilities. To develop tourism, its capacities must be examined from different aspects. Thus, "community capacity building" is recognized as an important tourism development strategy. Also, the success of tourism development requires the understanding of all stakeholders to invest in Jalma's capacities and the tourism industry. Without community capacity building, tourism development processes cannot be implemented. Therefore, capacity building parallels community development and is a common feature. Capacity development is a relatively new term that has become popular since the 1980s and gained prominence in the 1990s. Despite its novelty, as a complement to other ideas, it has influenced development thinking and continues to play an important role. These concepts include institutionalization, institutional development, human resource development, management and implementation of and improvement of institutional development. UNDP (2009) introduces capacity in three levels as environmental (an enabling environment), organizational (within organizations) and individual (within individuals). "Elements that are at the environmental level include formal institutions (laws, policies, rulings, membership regulations, etc.), informal institutions (customs, culture, norms, etc.), social capital and social infrastructure, and the capacities of individuals and Organizations. “Iran has a high potential for developing literary tourism by having famous poets and writers. Usually, compared to other urban destinations, capital cities have distinct environmental characteristics that distinguish them from other cities. Tehran is one of the cities that has always been the focus of the poets and writers of our country due to its political position and the presence of cultural-artistic centers. So, there are many houses of poets and writers in this city, which has been the place of residence and commuting of literary greats for many years. Therefore, this research examines environmental capacities in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. Methodology The research is practical in terms of purpose and descriptive in terms of nature. Also, in terms of the method of analysis, it has been done quantitatively with the library method and field studies (questionnaire). In order to assess the validity of the data, Cronbach's alpha test was used, and the validity of the questionnaire was high and valid. Results and discussion The Friedman test was used to compare the importance of these components. According to the statistical calculations, "types of literary tourism," with an average rank of 2.42, is the most effective variable of environmental capacity in the development of literary tourism in Tehran, followed by "infrastructure," with an average rank of 2.28 is in second place. "Literary places" is in the third place with an average rank of 1.30 and is less important than the two mentioned cases. The role of "environmental capacities" in the development of literary tourism in the eyes of the local community includes, respectively, "literary museums," "book cafes," and also "the birthplace and life of poets or writers." To compare the importance of these variables with the Friedman test showed that "Book Cafe," with an average rank of 2.26, is the most effective environmental capacity variable in the development of literary tourism in Tehran, followed by "place of birth and life of poets or writers" with an average rank of 1.91 is in the second degree of priority. "Literary museums" are in the third place with an average rank of 1.84 and are less important than the two mentioned above. The comparison of the importance of three capacities in the development of literary tourism from the point of view of two groups of tourists and the local community shows that both groups consider "organizational capacities" as the most effective factor in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. Conclusion The development of tourism capacities can play an important role in using different aspects of literary tourism. Capacity development also helps to solve or change problems and improve performance. The results show that "environmental capacities" are the most effective factor in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. Among the components of environmental capacity, "types of literary tourism" is the most effective variable of environmental capacity in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. Also, from the local community’s point of view, "Book Cafe" is the most effective variable of environmental capacity in the development of literary tourism in Tehran. From the tourists' point of view, in addition to environmental capacities, it is necessary to pay attention to "organizational capacities" for the development of Tehran's literary tourism. 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.

https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_94975_389f4fa167bd49f0087e3a245d8ae4c5.pdf

Faculty of Geography- University of Tehran urban tourism 2423-6926 10 3 2023 10 30 Urban Smart Tourism Development Model Based on Marketing Ecosystem the Case Study of Tabriz City Urban Smart Tourism Development Model Based on Marketing Ecosystem the Case Study of Tabriz City 127 146 94978 10.22059/jut.2023.365511.1157 FA Abolfazl Haghverdizadeh Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Ghasem Zarei Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Bagher Asgarnezhad Nouri Department of Management, Faculty of Economic and Management, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran Hossein Rahimi Kolour Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 24 A B S T R A C T his study aims to identify the effective factors and provide a model for the development of urban smart tourism in Tabriz city with a marketing ecosystem approach. The qualitative approach with the content analysis method was used in this regard. The field method with the in-depth interview technique was used to collect the required data while studying the library resources. The interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached. In total, 16 experts in this field were interviewed by snowball sampling. MAXQDA software was used for content analysis. The findings of the research indicate that 33 subthemes in the form of five main themes include marketplace (global developments in the tourism market, public relations, promotion, etc.), technology (developments in the field of technology, upgrading purchasing systems, dynamic response systems, etc.), socio-economic (smart financial transfer, financial transparency, acceptance of innovation, etc.), geopolitics (strengthening Iran's tourism competitors, etc.), and environmental (smart management of resources, environmental crises, sustainability, etc.), form the model of urban smart tourism development in Tabriz. This research showed that the development of smart urban tourism at the international level has a higher complexity than domestic tourism. Managers of urban destinations can benefit from the results of this research, including the use of fifth-generation tourism, infrastructure development, increasing government support, developing smart projects, benchmarking and more cooperation with the world's leading smart cities and increasing the participation of local people to advance their development goals Extended abstract Introduction In the past few decades, the development of information and communication technology (ICT) has introduced new technologies such as the Internet, social media, NFC, augmented reality, and pervasive computing technology. Such technologies change our daily lives because they play an important role in urban development, such as resource use, economy and sustainable development. Recently, technologies such as cloud computing Internet of Things and their application to complex logistics problems in cities have launched a "new" concept in the public, private and academic sectors alike under the title of intelligence. A smart city also focuses on social and cultural life and may increase urban social interactions. Since tourism has a lot to do with cultural phenomena, the concept of "intelligence" has been adapted to the context of tourism. Emerging technologies affect tourism destinations and create new challenges due to consumer and environmental changes. Using technology in a destination can enrich tourists' experiences, increase the destination's competitiveness, enable new distribution channels, and create a new business environment. In addition to the research that has been strengthened by the revolution of the latest generation of information and communication technologies, smart tourism has gained more momentum and has quickly become a leading trend in the research literature; it has also penetrated into governments and the field of business and by trying to develop smart devices, services and tourist destinations have been included. So many of the world's leading cities have continuously put their smart city development and smart plans on the agenda to become world-class smart tourism destinations. Beyond the attitude that exists on the smartness of urban tourism destinations from the point of view of competitiveness and other market elements, global marketing researchers have paid attention to macro variables and other related and dynamic super trends from the "outside-in" perspective, which they call the marketing ecosystem. The marketing ecosystem approach contributes to marketing theory and practices through a structured and external perspective focused on better understanding the evolving consumers (tourists). In Iran and Tabriz, this attention to the smart city and urban smart tourism has been noticed at macro levels. Therefore, while paying attention to the importance of this field, this study will examine a set of factors affecting the development of urban smart tourism according to Tabriz with the marketing ecosystem approach and provide a clear model for the managers and policymakers. Methodology In the current research, qualitative methods and content analysis were used. To conduct the research, data collection was done through in-depth interviews with key participants of the smart tourism industry in Tabriz. In this research, after conducting 16 interviews, the data collection process was completed. Purposeful sampling and the snowball method were used to select experts. The interviews were conducted in October, November and December 2022. Each in-depth interview lasted about 20 to 65 minutes. A semi-structured questionnaire was prepared to guide the interviews. After completing each interview, the researchers tried to listen to the audio file carefully. After converting it to text, the content of the interview text was checked by content analysis method and using MAXQDA version 2018 software. Therefore, the primary concepts were first identified by carefully studying these texts, and a code was assigned to each. In the continuation of the process, the primary concepts were classified in the form of sub-themes. Finally, based on all the identified sub-themes, a more general classification was done, and thus, the main themes were identified. Results and discussion The results of the research findings in the area of marketplace show the challenges of the smart urban tourism marketing ecosystem in nine sub-themes, including global tourism market developments, destination personality, market approach, promotion, public relations, weakness in government structure, weakness in policy-making, administrative bureaucracy and government support. The research findings in the technology sector show that we are facing six sub-themes as global technological developments, upgrading of online and smart shopping systems, more accessible information sources, dynamic handling and response systems, and internal challenges related to technology and public-service infrastructure. Based on the thematic analysis results, the socio-economic sector also includes eight major challenges for the urban smart tourism marketing ecosystem, including finance, financial transparency, macroeconomic indicators, financial resource limitations, adoption of innovation, migration and tourism culture. Also, in the following, the results of the topic analysis for the geopolitical category are given, which include the five sub-themes of the disappearance of the traditional borders of countries due to the development of fifth-generation tourism, the strengthening of Iran's tourism competitors in the northwest (Turkey) and the Persian Gulf countries, international challenges, political stability and it includes domestic geopolitics and the ideology of the rulers. Finally, the results of data analysis in the field of environment show that we are faced with five sub-themes as lack of intelligent management of resources, environmental crises, global protocols, green approach and sustainable development. Conclusion This study attempted to identify and investigate the effective factors in the development of smart urban tourism in Tabriz with a marketing ecosystem approach. The research findings extracted broad indicators in five dimensions of the marketing ecosystem model, including marketplace, technology, socio-economic, geopolitical, and environmental. The research findings were compared with other domestic and foreign studies. Finally, research limitations and proposed plans for future studies were presented after presenting practical suggestions. 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. A B S T R A C T his study aims to identify the effective factors and provide a model for the development of urban smart tourism in Tabriz city with a marketing ecosystem approach. The qualitative approach with the content analysis method was used in this regard. The field method with the in-depth interview technique was used to collect the required data while studying the library resources. The interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached. In total, 16 experts in this field were interviewed by snowball sampling. MAXQDA software was used for content analysis. The findings of the research indicate that 33 subthemes in the form of five main themes include marketplace (global developments in the tourism market, public relations, promotion, etc.), technology (developments in the field of technology, upgrading purchasing systems, dynamic response systems, etc.), socio-economic (smart financial transfer, financial transparency, acceptance of innovation, etc.), geopolitics (strengthening Iran's tourism competitors, etc.), and environmental (smart management of resources, environmental crises, sustainability, etc.), form the model of urban smart tourism development in Tabriz. This research showed that the development of smart urban tourism at the international level has a higher complexity than domestic tourism. Managers of urban destinations can benefit from the results of this research, including the use of fifth-generation tourism, infrastructure development, increasing government support, developing smart projects, benchmarking and more cooperation with the world's leading smart cities and increasing the participation of local people to advance their development goals Extended abstract Introduction In the past few decades, the development of information and communication technology (ICT) has introduced new technologies such as the Internet, social media, NFC, augmented reality, and pervasive computing technology. Such technologies change our daily lives because they play an important role in urban development, such as resource use, economy and sustainable development. Recently, technologies such as cloud computing Internet of Things and their application to complex logistics problems in cities have launched a "new" concept in the public, private and academic sectors alike under the title of intelligence. A smart city also focuses on social and cultural life and may increase urban social interactions. Since tourism has a lot to do with cultural phenomena, the concept of "intelligence" has been adapted to the context of tourism. Emerging technologies affect tourism destinations and create new challenges due to consumer and environmental changes. Using technology in a destination can enrich tourists' experiences, increase the destination's competitiveness, enable new distribution channels, and create a new business environment. In addition to the research that has been strengthened by the revolution of the latest generation of information and communication technologies, smart tourism has gained more momentum and has quickly become a leading trend in the research literature; it has also penetrated into governments and the field of business and by trying to develop smart devices, services and tourist destinations have been included. So many of the world's leading cities have continuously put their smart city development and smart plans on the agenda to become world-class smart tourism destinations. Beyond the attitude that exists on the smartness of urban tourism destinations from the point of view of competitiveness and other market elements, global marketing researchers have paid attention to macro variables and other related and dynamic super trends from the "outside-in" perspective, which they call the marketing ecosystem. The marketing ecosystem approach contributes to marketing theory and practices through a structured and external perspective focused on better understanding the evolving consumers (tourists). In Iran and Tabriz, this attention to the smart city and urban smart tourism has been noticed at macro levels. Therefore, while paying attention to the importance of this field, this study will examine a set of factors affecting the development of urban smart tourism according to Tabriz with the marketing ecosystem approach and provide a clear model for the managers and policymakers. Methodology In the current research, qualitative methods and content analysis were used. To conduct the research, data collection was done through in-depth interviews with key participants of the smart tourism industry in Tabriz. In this research, after conducting 16 interviews, the data collection process was completed. Purposeful sampling and the snowball method were used to select experts. The interviews were conducted in October, November and December 2022. Each in-depth interview lasted about 20 to 65 minutes. A semi-structured questionnaire was prepared to guide the interviews. After completing each interview, the researchers tried to listen to the audio file carefully. After converting it to text, the content of the interview text was checked by content analysis method and using MAXQDA version 2018 software. Therefore, the primary concepts were first identified by carefully studying these texts, and a code was assigned to each. In the continuation of the process, the primary concepts were classified in the form of sub-themes. Finally, based on all the identified sub-themes, a more general classification was done, and thus, the main themes were identified. Results and discussion The results of the research findings in the area of marketplace show the challenges of the smart urban tourism marketing ecosystem in nine sub-themes, including global tourism market developments, destination personality, market approach, promotion, public relations, weakness in government structure, weakness in policy-making, administrative bureaucracy and government support. The research findings in the technology sector show that we are facing six sub-themes as global technological developments, upgrading of online and smart shopping systems, more accessible information sources, dynamic handling and response systems, and internal challenges related to technology and public-service infrastructure. Based on the thematic analysis results, the socio-economic sector also includes eight major challenges for the urban smart tourism marketing ecosystem, including finance, financial transparency, macroeconomic indicators, financial resource limitations, adoption of innovation, migration and tourism culture. Also, in the following, the results of the topic analysis for the geopolitical category are given, which include the five sub-themes of the disappearance of the traditional borders of countries due to the development of fifth-generation tourism, the strengthening of Iran's tourism competitors in the northwest (Turkey) and the Persian Gulf countries, international challenges, political stability and it includes domestic geopolitics and the ideology of the rulers. Finally, the results of data analysis in the field of environment show that we are faced with five sub-themes as lack of intelligent management of resources, environmental crises, global protocols, green approach and sustainable development. Conclusion This study attempted to identify and investigate the effective factors in the development of smart urban tourism in Tabriz with a marketing ecosystem approach. The research findings extracted broad indicators in five dimensions of the marketing ecosystem model, including marketplace, technology, socio-economic, geopolitical, and environmental. The research findings were compared with other domestic and foreign studies. Finally, research limitations and proposed plans for future studies were presented after presenting practical suggestions. 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.

https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_94978_afc0b27a42a09750328a48ae05ef8adf.pdf