Survey and Analysis of the Role of Museums in Cultural Tourism Development (A case study of museums in eastern Mazandaran)

Tourism, particularly cultural tourism opens the door to knowledge, development, and sustainability of society. With the hypothesis that museums can develop tourism, especially cultural tourism in destinations, this study aimed to examine the effect of musumes on cultural tourism in eastern Mazandaran using survey methods. The Sample size was estimated 380 respondents based on the Morgan chart and SPSS software was used to analysis the data. The results showed that Kolbady Musume in Sari and Gohar Tapeh Museum in Behshahr have potentially significant roles in attracting tourists and introducing the history and culture of eastern Mazandaran. This could provide a suitable ground for developing cultural tourism in the region depending on planning and management on the part of relevant institiutions, particularly the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.