The impact of developing tourism destination infrastructure on the competitiveness of tourism destinations in Gorgan County

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Geography, Institute for Security, Law Enforcement and Social Studies, Institute for Law Enforcement Sciences and Social Studies, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Zanjan. Tehran. Iran

3 Department of Social, Institute for Security, Regulatory and Social Studies, Institute for Regulatory Sciences and Social Studies, Tehran. Iran

10.22059/jut.2025.378946.1223

Abstract

A B S T R A C T
Gorgan County has high capabilities in terms of natural and human capacities in the tourism sector and can occupy a special place in the country in terms of attracting tourists, which requires the provision and development of infrastructure and recognition of the services needed by tourists in this area. The present study was designed and implemented to investigate the impact of developing tourism destination infrastructure on the competitiveness of tourism destinations in Gorgan County. For this purpose, the approach governing the research is of an applied-developmental type, and its research method is descriptive-analytical. The library and field methods (questionnaire tool) were used to collect the required information. After determining the sample size of 384 people, the questionnaires were completed, and their data were extracted. SPSS and Amos software and t-tests were used to analyze the questionnaire data and test the research variables. The t-test results show that the service and accommodation infrastructure index is higher, and the transportation and recreational-sports infrastructure index is lower than other tourism destination infrastructure indicators. The results of structural equation modeling (AMOS) indicate that among the dimensions of tourism infrastructure examined, accommodation and service infrastructure have the most significant impact on the competitiveness of tourists in Gorgan city. In this regard, urban managers are advised to contribute to the satisfaction of tourists and repeat travel to Gorgan city by developing tourism infrastructure such as services and accommodation and improving roads and transportation conditions.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The tourism industry has a significant impact on strengthening economic and social foundations and relationships between people, and the development of tourism destinations is one of the most important factors that can affect the competitiveness of tourists. The present study was designed and implemented to investigate the impact of developing tourism destination infrastructure on the competitiveness of tourism destinations, analyzing tourism infrastructure in different dimensions (accommodation infrastructure, service infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, and recreational infrastructure) simultaneously and identifying the relative importance of each dimension. What distinguishes this study from other studies is the in-depth study of the multidimensional effects of tourism infrastructure on the competitiveness of tourists and the identification of factors affecting the competitiveness of tourist destinations in the study area.
 
Methodology
The present research method is of an applied type, using descriptive-analytical methods and structural equation modeling to comprehensively analyze the development of tourism destination infrastructure and its impact on the competitiveness of the target population's tourism destinations. The statistical population is tourists from Gorgan who have traveled to Gorgan in the first quarter of 2024 for over 15 years. Also, the sample size is 384 respondents who were selected by simple random method. For this purpose, after conducting library studies and processing them, a questionnaire was prepared, and the necessary information about tourism development and its impact on competitiveness in Gorgan was collected. This study's measurement and data collection tool is a researcher-made questionnaire, which was applied to measure its reliability using Cronbach's alpha, which is above 87 percent. Also, to analyze the results of this research, descriptive statistics were used in descriptive statistical analysis, and structural equation modeling in the SPSS and AMOS software environments were employed in inferential statistical analysis.
 
Results and discussion
The results of the study of the duration of stay and the way tourists get acquainted showed that 74.5 percent of them stated that their duration of stay was 1 to 3 days. Regarding the way, they got acquainted with the attractions of Gorgan city, 38.2 percent of them stated that the Internet and cyberspace were the options, and 29.4 percent stated that their way of staying in Gorgan city was in organizational accommodation centers. Next, the tourism infrastructure variable was measured in the form of four indicators such as accommodation, service, transportation, and recreational infrastructure. Among the items of accommodation infrastructure, the quantitative status of guesthouses and hotels has the highest average, 3.47. In the service area, the item of the quantitative status of shopping centers to meet the needs of tourists has the highest average of 3.75. The item of the status of the public transportation system in the city has the highest average, with an average of 3.67. In the recreation area, the existence of sufficient public parks in the city has the highest average, with an average of 3.21.
The results of the confirmatory factor analysis of the variable measurement model of the quality of infrastructure of tourist destinations, which includes the status of accommodation, service, transportation, and entertainment infrastructure, show that the image of the quality of infrastructure of tourist destinations and also the competitiveness of tourist destinations have factor loadings of more than 0.4. The factor analysis model of these variables is also approved. Also, considering the value of the T-statistic obtained for the path coefficient equal to 5.23, it can be inferred that the quality of infrastructure of tourist destinations increases the competitiveness of tourist destinations in Gorgan.
Tourism infrastructure development indicators such as accommodation infrastructure, transportation, service and recreational infrastructure play a very important role in the competitiveness of Gorgan city's tourism destinations. In a way, the accommodation infrastructure index, one of the most important concerns of tourists, is the existence of desirable accommodation facilities in tourism destinations because the quality of infrastructure and their number and diversity in the area of ​​interest for tourists will be promising for the development of tourism in Gorgan city. The results of the study showed that the number of existing camps in the province needs further development because the location of Gorgan city, due to the buffer zone between the movement of tourists and travelers to the holy Mashhad, requires the use of camps and resorts in these areas.
On the other hand, the index of various infrastructure and service, recreational and sports factors, such as the existence of infrastructure and sports facilities and children's play facilities and the existence of sufficient public parks at the city level, can be among the important factors in attracting tourists and ensuring their comfort and well-being when traveling to this region. Overall, the infrastructure indicators of Gorgan city's tourist destinations are in an average state, and they affect the prosperity of tourism in this city because the infrastructure index is at a lower level due to lack of desirability, which is due to the lack of facilities and amenities related to transportation, accommodation and services in the region. Moreover, it can have a negative impact on the ability to attract tourists.



Conclusion
The results of the present study, in relation to statistical data and answers to the main research questions, indicate that the components of the indicators of accommodation, services, transportation, recreation, and sports infrastructures have a high range and diversity concerning the evaluation of the competitiveness of tourism destinations. The results of structural equation modeling indicate that accommodation and services infrastructures have the most significant role in the competitiveness of tourists in the target region among the dimensions of tourism infrastructures examined. After that, the dimensions of transportation, recreation, and sports infrastructures are recognized in third and fourth place by the respondents and affect the competitiveness of tourists in Gorgan city, respectively.
 
Authors' Contribution
The authors have contributed equally in all stages and parts of the research.
 
Funding
According to the statement of the corresponding author, this article has not been sponsored.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all those who helped conduct this research, especially those who assessed the quality of the article.

Keywords

References

  1. Abdollahi, M. (2022). Presenting a ranking of factors affecting tourism security using the TOPSIS method. Isfahan Provincial Police Command, Applied Research Office. [in Persian]
  2. Adobayo, K. A., & Iweka, C. O. A. (2014). Optimizing the sustainability of tourism infrastructure in Nigeria through design for deconstruction framework. American Journal of Tourism Management, 3(1A), 13–19.
  3. Asli, D. A. T., & Boylu, Y. (2009). Cultural comparison of tourists’ safety perception in relation to trip satisfaction. School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Mugla University.
  4. Azizi, O., Azizpour, F., Ghasemi Vasmajani, A., & Karimi, B. (2021). Analysis of the spatial distribution of public infrastructure and welfare tourism services in Iran. Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 10(2), 99–121. https://doi.org/10.22080/jtpd.2021.20372.3420 [in Persian]
  5. Chegin, M. (2022). Assessing tourism development in Islamic countries with a travel and tourism competitiveness approach. Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 11(2), 201–224. [in Persian]
  6. Farhadi Younki, M., & Imani Khoshkhoo, M. H. (2020). The impact of tourism infrastructure on tourist loyalty case study: Isfahan City. Journal of Tourism and Development, 11(1), 129–142. https://doi.org/10.22034/jtd.2021.251974.2145 [in Persian]
  7. Gao, J., Shao, C., Chen, S., & Wei, Z. (2021). Evaluation of sustainable development of tourism cities based on SDGs and tourism competitiveness index: Analysis of 221 prefecture-level cities in China. Sustainability, 13(22), 12338. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212338
  8. Gianfaldoni, S. T. (2017). History of the baths and thermal medicine. Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 5(4), 566–568.
  9. Glinos, I. B. (2010). A typology of cross-border patient mobility. Health & Place, 16(6), 1145–1155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.08.003
  10. Jensen, S. (2016). Social trust, safety and the choice of tourist destination. Business and Management Horizons, 4(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5296/bmh.v4i1.9250
  11. Jovanović, S., & Ilić, I. (2016). Infrastructure as important determinant of tourism development in the countries of Southeast Europe. Ecoforum, 5(1), 288–295.
  12. Khadem Al-Husseini, A. (2018). Spatial analysis of tourism spaces in Isfahan city with an emphasis on security. Isfahan Provincial Police Command, Applied Research Office. [in Persian]
  13. Lim, C., Zhu, L., & Koo, T. T. R. (2019). Urban redevelopment and tourism growth: Relationship between tourism infrastructure and international visitor flows. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(2), 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2255
  14. Mamirkulova, G., Mi, J., Abbas, J., Mahmood, S., Mubeen, R., & Ziapour, A. (2020). New Silk Road infrastructure opportunities in developing tourism environment for residents better quality of life. Global Ecology and Conservation, 24, e01194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01194
  15. Mechinda, P., Serirat, S., Popaijit, N., Lertwannawit, A., & Anuwichanont, J. (2010). The relative impact of competitiveness factors and destination equity on tourist satisfaction and loyalty: A case of Thailand as a tourist destination.
  16. Perić, G., Dramićanin, S., & Gašić, M. (2020). Impact of service quality on satisfaction and loyalty of tourists in rural tourism of Šumadija and Western Serbia. Economics of Agriculture, 67(4), 1071–1086. https://doi.org/10.5937/ekoPolj2004071P
  17. Rajabi, M., Ziari, K., & Zanganeh Shahraki, S. (2023). Assessing tourism development in Islamic countries with a travel and tourism competitiveness approach. Journal of Tourism Planning and Development, 12(3), 69–91. [in Persian]
  18. Rezaei, M. R., Moradi Rameqani, R., Akbarian Ronizi, S. R., & Lashgari Tafreshi, E. (2021). Evaluating the impact of security on tourist destination loyalty with emphasis on the mediating role of satisfaction and destination image (Case study: Foreign tourists in Shiraz). Biannual Journal of Urban Social Geography, 8(2), 109–132. [in Persian]
  19. Shabani, H., Mirzaei, K., Radfar, M., & Aghababaei, Z. (2022). Investigating tourism capacities and the role of security in its development (Case study: East of Tehran Province). Isfahan Police Science Quarterly, 31(1), 17–56. [in Persian]
  20. Shahriari, M. R. (2022). Investigating the relationship between social security indicators and foreign tourist loyalty (Case study: Shiraz City). Quarterly Journal of Sustainable Urban and Regional Development Studies, 3(2), 84–100. [in Persian]
  21. Simarmata, E., Kusumastuti, R., & Wijaya, C. (2022). Achieving sustainable competitiveness of tourism dynamics with resource-based view. European Journal of Innovation Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-02-2022-0095
  22. Statistical Center of Iran. (2017). Statistical yearbook of the 2016 population census. [in Persian]
  23. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). (2021). UNWTO tourism database. Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://www.unwto.org/data
urban tourism
Volume 12, Issue 3
October 2025
Pages 19-35

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics