Developing a Community-Based Tourism Model in Iran: A Systematic Review and Grounded Theory Research

Introduction

Community-based tourism (CBT) emerged as a response to the need for community participation in developing and planning tourism products and as a solution to mitigate the negative impacts of mass tourism. However, this approach faces challenges in practice. Based on the research background, these challenges stem from community operational, structural, and cultural barriers. Operational barriers arise from poor coordination among institutions and stakeholders and inadequate communication of tourism development to residents. These barriers include the concentration of public management, lack of coordination between departments, and poor communication with community members. Structural barriers include the attitudes of experts, lack of expertise, shortage of trained personnel, and lack of financial resources. In most cases, community-based projects are led by technocrats who are primarily employees of government organizations and agencies. Cultural barriers relate to the lifestyles of people in the community; for example, inadequate levels of formal education in the local community, limited knowledge about tourism, and limited access to the benefits and advantages of tourism hinder participation in tourism development. Low community capacity and limited understanding of the impacts of tourism are among the most significant barriers to participation in tourism development. In general, the ultimate barrier to community participation is the local people's insufficient capacity in terms of expertise, understanding, and awareness.



Methodology

This study is qualitative research based on systematic analysis and grounded theory. To provide a model consistent with the country's social, economic, and political conditions and environment, three scientific article indexing databases, including Noormags, Magiran, and the SID, were initially searched. After reviewing these three databases, a search was also conducted on Google Scholar to ensure comprehensiveness. At the end of the first stage, the search strategy for finding the most relevant articles was defined as "community-based tourism" or "participation and tourism." After removing duplicate articles, reviewing the content of the articles, and evaluating them based on ten critical evaluation guide questions, 55 articles were selected for final evaluation. Finally, data analysis and coding were performed using Corbin and Strauss's (2008) paradigm model. This model establishes relationships between the central research phenomenon, potential drivers or causes, influencing conditions, potential consequences and outcomes, and coping strategies. To this end, open coding was first performed to collect, review, compare, conceptualize, and classify data. Then, axial coding was performed to establish relationships between the concepts obtained in the previous stage; this stage focuses on the causal conditions that explain the central research phenomenon. Finally, based on the intervening conditions, strategies and actions, and current or future consequences resulting from the phenomenon's action, the final model was obtained by integrating and refining the categories developed in the axial coding stage.



Results and discussion

Given the diverse economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental conditions of communities, it is essential to develop CBT models that are tailored to their specific circumstances. It is unlikely that a single model can be applied universally to all communities. The proposed model highlights that people must reap the benefits of tourism in order to participate in its development. For instance, they should be employed in tourism-related jobs and receive financial benefits, their local cultures and values should be respected, and their environment and resources should be protected. Furthermore, CBT requires the presence of enabling conditions, the most important of which is unity, solidarity, and cohesion among community members. Coordination among stakeholders, including residents, leaders, local managers, and tourists, is essential for CBT development. The higher the levels of communication between stakeholders, the less conflict, contention, and mistrust there will be, and the faster they will be able to coordinate their actions and achieve their goals. It is worth noting that there are sometimes intervening factors that can weaken these enabling conditions or, conversely, help to strengthen them. In a country like Iran, due to the structure of national and administrative planning and resource concentration, the government can be an intervening factor that can create more favorable conditions for CBT by defining tourism development plans, providing infrastructure, and financial resources. However, it is important to note that managers and human resources must also be committed to adopting CBT. Ultimately, CBT can help shape or strengthen the destination image by improving the quality of the tourist experience and satisfaction, fostering cooperation, interaction, and respect among stakeholders.



Conclusion

The majority of studies have focused on identifying the outcomes and results of CBT, and some have even gone so far as to try to prove the positive outcomes of CBT in different destinations without considering the causes, contexts, and intervening factors. However, the development of CBT requires the presence of enabling conditions or preparing the community to accept it. Identifying causal conditions, contexts, and intervening factors with respect to the conditions and context of Iran can help plans and studies that aim to develop CBT to identify the conditions that need to be controlled or manipulated if they are to fail to achieve their intended goals. Based on the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to provide strategies and actions for CBT development in four separate dimensions such as policy, economic, socio-cultural, and technical.