Analyzing the roles of environmental sources in urban tourism of Khansar city

Introduction

Urban Tourism is a type of tourism activity which takes place in an urban space. Creation and prosperity of tourism in the cities are due to a variety of factors that can be considered as tourist environmental resources. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of environmental resources in developing tourism in Khansar, a city with about 22,000 inhabitants locates in the center of Iran and west of Isfahan province. The research hypothesis is that: Nature of Khansar city is more influential in attracting tourists.

Materials and Methods

The research method was exploratory-evaluation. Identifying the effective variables has been done through studying in the research literature and considering expert’s opinions. The 37 variables affecting tourism in the study area were evaluated by a sample group of 350 people. The number of the group has been determined based on the Cochrane model among about 4,000 tourists in a year. The sample group was selected in a sorted order to be distributed equally on days and in months of a year. Data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of 37 items that must be evaluated in 5 spectra. In order to analyze the data, we use SPSS software and apply Friedman test and One Sample T Test models.

Research findings

Findings show that 15 variables out of 37 variables including Damaneh cave, trade, Baghkal Dam, investment potentials, cultural heritage, pilgrimage of the tombs, traditional dresses, Baba Pir Tork tomb, sufficient and clean toilets, central Mosque, roads, Asal park, khansarian accent, not having discouraging religious prejudices, and souvenirs and handicrafts were "effective" in motivating tourism trips in Khansar, 13 variables including hotels, car parks, gathering medical plants, historical and architectural monuments of nearby villages, access to fuel station, restaurants, communication services, Golestan mountain and its plants, religious rituals and social conventions, hospitality, traditional foods and pastries, urban life order, and green streets evaluated as "relatively effective" and the rest 9 variables including cleanness of the city, urban furniture, mountains, security, gardens and green ways, Sarcheshmeh park, rivers, climate, and springs were "non-effective" ones. Among the "effective" variables, 4 variables were included in natural-environmental dimension, 4 in cultural, and 2 in service-welfare ones. Also, in each of the economic and social-institutional dimensions, 3 variables are known as "effective." Among "relatively effective" variables, 5 variables were included in services-welfare dimension, 4 in social-institutional and 2 variables were included in natural-environmental dimension. In each of the economic and cultural dimensions, 1 variable is also evaluated in this spectrum. Finally, the 7 identified variables related to tourism attraction to Khansar city which are evaluated as "ineffective", were included in natural-environmental dimension and the rest 2 items including urban security and urban furniture were included in social-institutional dimension. Also, the results of Single Sample T Test showed that two dimensions of economic and cultural were attractive in absorbing tourists, and the others (natural and environmental, social and institutional and services) were in mediocre situations.

Discussion of Results & Conclusion

It can be concluded that the 37 variables identified from the environmental sources have all had an effect in attracting tourists to the study area, but their degree of influence was very different. Contrary to the history and reputation of the city, the least influential variables were natural and environmental variables. The conditions and capacities of the natural environment are not very stimulating for tourists traveling to Khansar and they have created attraction at a lower level than other dimensions to attract tourists. On the contrary, the economic and cultural aspects have been shown with great influence. The name of Khansar is based on the numerous water springs and especially the running springs in the current source of the city, but this variable has received the lowest rank. The climate changes, which have been characterized by a decrease in rainfall, heat and more evaporation, and the occurrence of droughts, like other parts of the country, have had a negative impact on the water resources and springs of Khansar. This issue has also had negative effects on the city's trees and gardens, through which some researchers have referred to this city as a garden city. At the same time, the constructions of recent years have changed the texture of the neighborhoods that had such characteristics. Therefore, reviving the tourism position of this city and strengthening it, on the one hand, depends on the preservation of the natural and environmental conditions of the city. Tourists did not have a positive evaluation of cleanliness and urban discipline. On the one hand, these two are institutional variables and are related to the performance of responsible institutions, especially the municipality, and on the other hand, they are related to the culture of urbanization and people's lifestyle. Many ancient rites and rituals, traditional clothing, Khansari dialect and many local foods have disappeared over time and therefore they have not attracted much attention for tourists. Therefore, their revival not only strengthens the sense of belonging to the environment and identity, and from this point of view, it can be effective in urban development, but it can also be effective in attracting tourists. Also, the results of the research showed that the comfort facilities of the city are not very satisfied with the tourists, and therefore it is necessary to pay attention to the improvement of the quality of accommodation centers