Opportunities and challenges of using gamification in urban tourism marketing (case study: Tomb of Ferdowsi, Toos city)

Marketing activities in the tourism industry play a significant role in the prosperity and advancement of tourist destinations. Gamification, as a new and creative method in tourism marketing, has various limitations and challenges. The aim of the present research is to identify the challenges and opportunities of using gamification in the marketing of the Ferdowsi tomb. This research is exploratory in approach, and conducted using grounded theory methodology. A total of 21 experts were selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods. After review, 538 open codes were obtained. The obtained results indicate that the number of challenges in the use of gamification can be classified into 9 fields and opportunities in 5 fields. Educational challenges as a main category, challenges arising from innovativeness as causal conditions, legal challenges, information dissemination, marketing, and economic challenges as intervening conditions, institutional and management challenges, technological challenges, and other challenges were identified with subcategories such as investment challenges, internet and legal problems and limitations, etc., as specific contextual conditions. Opportunities in management, social, environmental, and cultural-historical aspects play a role in strategies, the use of which leads to the outcomes of innovative opportunities.

Extended Abstract

Introduction

The use of new marketing tactics in the tourism industry, such as gamification, is one of the ways to promote tourism destinations. The use of gamification in different forms of tourism, especially cultural tourism, can be very effective given the historical and cultural background of the attractions. Given to the importance of this issue, gamification is not yet developed in the Iranian tourism industry. The Tomb of Ferdowsi is one of the most important tourist attractions in Iran, the number of tourists is very low compared to theimportance of this attraction in Iran and in the world, and needs to marketing in new ways such as gamification. Using this approach can have many challenges and opportunities. The aim of this research is to identify the challenges and opportunities of using gamification for use in tourist attractions, especially the tomb of Ferdowsi. Therefore, the question of this research is what are the challenges and opportunities of using gamification in tourism marketing in Ferdowsi Tomb?





Methodology

The current research is descriptive-analytical and exploratory. This study is qualitative research based on systematic analysis and grounded theory, and it's applied in purpose, and its purpose is to discover the challenges and opportunities of using gamification in tourism marketing in Ferdowsi Tomb. The method of collecting information is library and field and The research population includes experts and senior managers in the tourism industry .In the first stage, concepts were explained by authentic documents and articles and then the semi-structured questionnaire was distributed among the experts in the field of tourism. The interviews were analyzed in MaxQDA and the coding process was carried out in three stages: open, axial, and selective. Finally, the central phenomenon, potential consequences potential drivers or causes, influencing conditions, and coping strategies were determined and the research model was designed.



Results and discussion

Based on the analysis of the information gathered from interviews, considering the emphasis of most interviewees on topics such as lack training of technology, the lack of knowledge of experts regarding the importance of using gamification in the tourism industry and People's knowledge of the concept of gamification, educational challenges were chosen as the main and central criteria. The main reason for the lack of education in the field of gamification was identified as the novelty and unknown of this field and innovative activities; therefore, the challenges of being innovative were recognized as influencing conditions, which have a direct impact on the main topic. The intervening conditions were shaped by economic, marketing, and legal challenges, and the context conditions were shaped by management, technology, infrastructure, and other challenges. To solve existing problems, managerial, cultural and historical, social and environmental opportunities can be considered as strategies that include the consequences of opportunities to be innovative.



Conclusion

Gamification is a relatively new consept in the tourism industry in the world, especially in Iran. In the field of gamification in marketing and tourism industry, it can be stated that gamification activities have been successful examples of attracting and educating tourists and loyalty in them. It can be acknowledged that use a game in both virtual space and real space and implementing and developing it can guarantee a different experience with creativity. By examining the challenges and trying to solve them with the help of the opportunities available, it can be expected that the gamification in the Tomb of Ferdowsi can lead to the correct and comprehensive introduction of the Tomb of Ferdowsi and the Shahnameh, creating a unique experience, promoting Iranian culture and introducing Iranian cultural - literary tourism around the world, creating .