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Considering the importance of developing food tourism as one of the most important and growing types in recent years, the present study was designed and implemented to model the factors affecting food tourism development. This research is developmental in terms of its purpose, and it is included in the category of qualitative research in terms of data collection and analysis, which is done by the meta-synthesis method. According to the nature of the meta-synthesis method, the statistical population of the research is made up of previous studies related to the research topic. In the meantime, according to access the full text and review of the title, abstract, and content of the searched articles, 45 sources were selected for the research. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data, and the intra-subject agreement method was used to control the quality of the analysis. As the research findings, the factors affecting the food tourism development were categorized in the form of six main themes, i.e., contextual factors, factors related to marketing and sales, factors related to human resources, infrastructural factors, intervening factors, and executive interventions. The results can increase managers' knowledge and awareness of factors affecting food tourism development and provide practical guidelines for managers, planners, and policymakers at different national and regional levels.

This bibliometric analysis explores the evolution of tourism planning research over the past 44 years (1978-2022).

Design/methodology/approach: 

The relevant body of literature was screened with a clearly defined search query in the Scopus database. After checking the title, abstract, and keywords and removing irrelevant documents, 836 documents indexed in the Scopus database were analyzed. SciMAT was employed for science mapping and analyzing thematic networks. 

Results revealed the major thematic networks in five periods. Three interrelated thematic areas were also identified: tourism management, sustainable tourism development, and community participation. Among the identified topics, “tourism stakeholders” has attracted scholarly attention since the first period and is expected to be one of the main topics in the future.

The analysis of the main thematic networks and thematic areas revealed several key trends and areas of focus that offer valuable insights into current and future directions for research.

Originality/value: 

Although tourism planning dates back several decades, no comprehensive research has been done to investigate thematic evolutions in this research field. This study will help inform researchers and activists in tourism planning and development about future research trends and topics.

Considering the changing interest of tourists towards acquiring authentic cultural experiences and the increasing importance of emerging types of tourism, such as food tourism, the present study has been conducted to design a model for the development of food tourism in Iran.

Design/methodology/approach: 

The current research is an exploratory, developmental study using a qualitative method and grounded theory approach. The statistical population consists of experts and practitioners in the country's public and private tourism sectors, of which 19 people were selected according to the rule of theoretical saturation using purposeful and snowball sampling methods, and semi-structured individual interviews have been used to gather the data needed.

After analyzing the interviews, 94 concepts (final code) were identified, which were classified into six categories: causal factors (economic factors, competitive factors and factors related to demand), central phenomenon (tangible Items and intangible Items), contextual condition (infrastructural factors and cultural factors), intervening condition (internal factors and external factors), strategies (related to products and services, related to marketing and advertising, related to infrastructure development and related to human resources) and consequences (economic, socio-cultural and competitive).

The results show that the development of food tourism in Iran should be considered from different dimensions and aspects, and it is necessary to consider all the mechanisms influencing this process in planning and policy-making.

Originality/value: 

The current research has a holistic approach to food tourism development and has investigated the effective mechanisms in developing this type of tourism from different aspects.

Tourism is often accused of providing unequal benefits and marginalizing disadvantaged and vulnerable groups for reasons such as ethnicity, gender, geographic region, poverty, disability, etc. Inclusive tourism as an approach based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals has been suggested in response to the exclusive nature of tourism development. This study aims to systematically review the literature on inclusive tourism using bibliometric analysis and quantitative content analysis. One hundred four documents indexed in the Scopus database were analyzed to understand the research's social and conceptual structure, the frequency of research methods and target groups. The findings revealed that research in this nascent field can be categorized into four clusters, namely:  "sustainability," "social entrepreneurship," "social inclusion," and "accessible tourism." In addition, based on the content analysis results, most of the research conducted in this field has been qualitative and conceptual, focused on the physically disabled from the demand side and on local communities from the supply side. The literature in this field is not yet well developed and requires research focusing on the diverse needs of different groups. The results of this study will help researchers and tourism activists understand trends in inclusive tourism and future research directions.

Although the research on religious tourism experiences has increased in recent years, and given that most of the studies have been focused on the spiritual aspect of these experiences, there still needs to be more knowledge about the multiple attributes of religious tourists’ experiences. Therefore, the current study aims to provide an “integrated and multifaceted conceptual framework of religious tourists’ experiences” using a systematic literature review and deductive thematic analysis. The search was conducted on June 12, 2023. The PRISMA procedure identified fifty-three relevant articles ranging from 2006 to 2022. Based on the findings, the multifaceted religious tourists’ experiences can include cognitive, emotional, physical, relational, recovery, spiritual, transformative, and behavioral facets. The findings can extend the literature and benefit managers, planners, and destination marketing organizations in designing religious tourism experiences to enhance visitors’ satisfaction and destination competitiveness.

Tourism can, on the one hand, strengthen national and ethnic identities, and on the other hand, it can accelerate fading of these identities. In addition, national-ethnic identity is one of the obstacles against rapid cultural homogenization due to globalization. Considering more than five decades of research on tourism and national-ethnic identity, and the lack of a comprehensive review of literature, this study aims to conduct a quantitative literature review using bibliometric analysis. Performance analysis and science mapping of 383 documents indexed in the Scopus database were performed using VOSviewer_1.6.18 software in order to understand the social and conceptual structure of the research field. The findings revealed that in the last decade research on heritage tourism among diaspora and immigrants, outbound tourists’ representation of their national-ethnic identity, and the representation of the destinations’ national-ethnic identity through tourism have been among the hot topics that can also be considered in future studies.

This study was designed and implemented to identify the executive priorities of the 13th government in order to develop Iran's tourism industry, considering the county’s potential, the importance of the tourism industry as a tool for sustainable development, and the importance of developing appropriate programs and policies to develop and benefit from this competitive industry.Design/methodology/approach: This is an applied study that relied on a mixed research method using thematic analysis and the best-worst fuzzy method. The statistical population consists of 35 experts in the tourism industry in the qualitative part, and 13 people in the quantitative part, who were selected through purposefulsampling.

Analysis of the collected data shows that the 13th government should consider 5 main priorities for developing the tourism industry, which are, in order of importance, supportive priorities (consisting of 5 main actions), managementpriorities (consisting of 6 main actions), human resources management priorities (including 5 main actions), marketing priorities (consisting of 5 main actions), and priorities related to strengthening and developing infrastructure (including 4 main actions).

The government's attention to the executive priorities presented in the current research during planningand implementation can provide the basis for better development of the Iran's tourism industry .Originality/value: In this research, the executive priorities at the macro-national level to the development of the tourism industry have been addressed for the first time.

The tourism industry is notoriously vulnerable to crises, and it has experienced a wide range of crises over time. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has marked the most serious crisis the industry has witnessed since 1950. As scholars explain, risk perception related to COVID-19 would affect consumers' preferences, leading to changes in their long-term behaviours. The Iranian tourism industry has been extensively damaged due to the pandemic. Although it is not clear when the pandemic can be controlled and life could return to pre-COVID-19 normalcy, the process of tourism demand recovery would require a clear understanding of consumers' transformed attitudes and perceptions and potential tourists' travel intentions. This study aims to investigate the impact of Iranian domestic tourists' socio-demographic characteristics on their travel intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk-related factors affecting it (perceived risk, risk aversion, and frequency of past travel). Also, tourists' travel purposes are compared in the light of their socio-demographic characteristics. The study seeks to raise the awareness of tourism destination marketers of Iranian domestic tourists' behaviours during the pandemic. Socio-demographic characteristics and travel purposes are among the most common criteria for categorizing target markets and directly impacting travel behaviours. Presently, domestic tourism is regarded as the most important option for helping the tourism industry rebound. In the case of Iran, considering people's reduced purchasing power caused by economic outcomes of the pandemic and US-imposed sanctions, domestic tourism seems to be the primary option for tourists.

The data were collected from September 2020 to October 2020, after the second wave of the pandemic hit Iran. An online questionnaire was created to gather the data, and its link was distributed via social media. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, travel intention (TI), frequency of past travel (FOP), travel purposes, perceived risk (PR), and risk aversion attitudes (ATT). A five-point Likert scale was used to measure the variables. The final sample included 363 respondents. The data were processed and analysed in SPSS 24.0 through descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and regression analysis.

The findings confirmed gender-related differences in travel intentions, perceived risk, risk aversion attitudes, and frequency of past travel. Age was not significantly different in terms of travel intentions or perceived risk. However, different age groups expressed various views regarding risk aversion attitudes and frequency of past travel. Travel intentions and risk aversion attitudes showed different values in terms of income. The high-income participants had more negative attitudes about accepting risks and tended to travel more during the pandemic. The participants who described their income as below average expressed the least travel intentions. Frequency of past travel, risk aversion attitudes, and perceived risk showed significant differences in the participants' family life stages. The only variable that showed a significant difference concerning education level was travel intentions. People holding a high school diploma and below showed the least, whereas those having an Associate's or a Bachelor's degree expressed the highest degree of travel intentions. The results showed the significant impact of gender on the frequency of past travel, perceived risk, risk aversion attitudes, and travel intentions. Similarly, age significantly affected risk aversion attitudes and perceived risk, while the family life stage significantly affected the frequency of past travel and risk aversion attitudes. Income and education level did not affect any of the dependent variables. Comparing travel purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic based on socio-demographic characteristics revealed a significant difference in VFR and family life stage. Concerning pilgrimage, the males (with less perceived risk and more risk-taking tendencies) and married people without children showed the highest religious tourism purposes. With work-education travels, the participants with average income expressed the least, whereas those with high income reported the highest travel intentions. Furthermore, those who lived alone reported the highest rate of work-education purposes. However, those living with their spouse but without their children expressed the least tendency to travel. Those with a high school diploma and below expressed the least, whereas those with a Master's degree and Ph.D. reported the highest degree of such travel purpose.

Based on results, marketing messages must target females and address their concerns about themselves and family members while assuring them that specific strategies are used in the tourism supply chain and destinations to reduce COVID-19 infection. The highest frequency of past travel was observed in the 25-44 age group, whereas the 14-24 age group showed the least risk aversion attitudes. Marketing activities must primarily target young tourists to help shape post-COVID-19 tourism. As the findings revealed, marketing messages should communicate businesses' commitment to the health protection of elderly couples who travel independently. Strategies should be implemented in line with the needs of this age group, and medical or healthcare facilities should be offered to them in tourism destinations so that their perceptions of vulnerability and lack of environmental control can be reduced. Iran's domestic tourism target markets should be categorized by the three influential socio-demographic variables, namely gender, age, and family life stage. Messages and strategies compatible with each category should be designed by focusing on the needs of females, young tourists, and elderly couples. The findings, generally speaking, suggested that under COVID-19 conditions, marketers must foreground: (a) gender in the case of recreation tourism; (b) gender and family life stage in the case of religious tourism; (c) family life stage for VFR trips; and (d) income, family life stage, and education level for work-educational travels. For each case, marketers must formulate necessary strategies and communicate relevant messages.

This study uses a mixed research framework to propose a model of ecotourism development in Iran. In the qualitative part, practitioners and experts were interviewed to extract the elements of the model, and the data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Therefore, four dimensions and 19 were detected. In the quantitative part, the dimensions and strategies were arranged into a questionnaire and were ranked by Iranian tourism experts. The results of analysis through hesitant fuzzy sets method revealed that the most important ecotourism development dimensions in Iran were “Management,” “Infrastructure development,” “Marketing,” and “Training and developing human resources.” Also, the most critical ecotourism development strategies were “marketing activities for increasing market share in ecotourism,” “diversifying Iran’s ecotourism products,” “improving roads leading to target villages for tourism,” and “increasing resilience of destinations in the face of natural disasters”, respectively.

Keeping up with global trends and gaining competitive advantage requires that tourism destinations determine their strategies based on the recognition of the importance of their competitive features and performance. In the present study, the IPA approach was used to assess the importance of various activities for gaining competitive advantage in destination management and the performance of two destinations of Yazd and Shiraz. The results showed that, from experts view, in both destinations, about half of the criteria with low importance and poor performance were in the lowest priorities for allocating resources. Based on the average points of importance in Yazd, the dimensions of "crisis management", "marketing", "climate change", "tourism and hospitality education", "sustainable development" and "product development and innovation" and in the city of Shiraz dimensions of "climate change", "marketing", "crisis management", "sustainable development", "product development and innovation", and "tourism and hospitality education" were identified from the most important to the least important aspects of destination competitiveness, respectively.

Iran’s Nomadic communities are now facing major challenges regarding their livelihoods. The forced transition of their settled lifestyle due to these challenges can have undesirable outcomes for their quality of life. The nomadic communities as a part of Iran’s ethnic heritage has the capacity to employ tourism for diversifying its economy and the country’s tourism product diversity. Therefore, the importance of identifying those factors that contribute to the community’s capability to build their livelihood resilience is justified. This paper aims at exploring the factors that can improve nomadic communities resilient. Furthermore, this study attempts to present a livelihood resilience framework with a particular focus on nomads. So, the research contributes to the theoretical and applied dimensions of livelihood resilience. To accomplish these goals, a qualitative contextual case study method was employed. We used semi-structured interviews with Qashqai nomads and key informants. In addition, direct observation and unobtrusive data were collected in the study. We used thematic analysis to interpret interviews. Based on stability landscape theory, factors contribute to the nomadic livelihood resilience were categorized as seven main themes, including: livelihood characteristics and internal constraints (implying resistance); internal enablers (implying adaptive capacity); quality of life (implying precariousness); external constraints; external enablers and changes and stresses (implying panarchy theory).

Sustainable management of nature reserves requires that the conservation of naturalresources and recreation be balanced. Increased recreational use within these resources endangers this balance، as it may lead both to a decline in the quality of the recreational experience and to the degradation of the ecosystem. Tourism carrying capacity (TCC) is one of the tools used to realize sustainable management. TCC has various dimensions. Social carrying capacity (SCC) is one of its dimensions which includesboth the degree of tolerance of host population and the quality of visitors’ experience. Moreover this notion is closely associated with the concept of crowding. As applied to tourists، SCC can be determined as the maximum level of use and types of activities that can be absorbed by an area without an unacceptable decline in the quality of visitors’ experience. Beside،crowding is often seen as the most direct social influence of recreation that can cause the visitors’ quality of experience to degrade and as a result، resource utility to decline. However، previous research has suggested that despitehigh level of density، visitors may explain their experience as satisfactory. Recreationists who feel crowded may adopt some coping mechanisms that are generally defined as stress-reducing. Displacement is one the coping strategies visitorsapply to reduce stress. Applying displacement may cause some problems for site management، especially for those which are ecologically sensitive. Crowding may lead visitors to displace site with other places، which may be visited less frequently. The greater dispersal of visitor use in time and space can cause undisturbed zones to damage. Despite the large demand for visiting natural areas in Iran، few researches have studied visitors’ social carrying capacity. Furthermore، no research has addressed coping mechanisms they employ in response to crowding. So، thegoal of this study was to determine recreationists’ social carrying capacity and the coping behaviors they employ. A field study was carried out on-site at the Margoon Waterfall during 2011 NorouzHollidays. To select sample، incidental sampling method was applied. Visitor exit questionnaires were distributed among domestic tourists visiting the Waterfallwho were 18 or more years old. As a Psychological construct، perceived crowding was measured through self-report techniques using Vaske and Heberlein 9-point scale. Besides، social carrying capacity was determined employing visual normative approach. Using descriptive statistics، finally 273 questionnaires were analyzed. Discussion and The results of descriptive data analysis indicated that almost all of the respondents (99/6%) reported a score of 3 or greater regarding the 9-point perceived crowding scale. According to the crowding evaluative standards proposed by Shelby et al. (1989)، if 80-100% respondents reported a rating of 3 or greater، the use levels would be interpreted as “more than capacity”. Applying visual normative approach، respondents indicated average densityas ideal، high use levels as acceptable and very high use levels as intolerable. Although perceived crowding had violated social carrying capacity thresholds، respondents described their recreational experience as satisfactory. In other words، 90/7% respondents suggested that they had been satisfied with their experience. When it comes to coping mechanisms، nearly 62% of respondents chose temporal displacement as their most preferred strategy، among them approximately 24% suggested that they would reduce duration their visit in order to cope with the site crowding. Asthe findings demonstrated، use levels of the site exceeded its social carrying capacity. Moreover، the results supported the previous research that satisfaction alone is not a useful tool in estimating social carrying capacity. The results also revealed that temporal displacement، in general and reducing duration of the visit، specifically، would be the most employed coping behavior in Margoon Waterfall. Therefore، environmental planners and destination managers should pay great attention to the crowding and its behavioral implications so that، by applying appropriate solutions، they can provide a balance between qualityof visitors’ experience andnatural setting ecosystem.

One of the main purposes of outdoor recreation management is to provide high quality of recreational chances and measuring tourism social carrying capacity is a managerial tool to achieve this objective. Besides, social carrying capacity is closely associated with ‘perceived crowding” by visitors. A review of literature in outdoor recreation suggests that when resource social carrying capacity is violated, crowding occurs; crowding causes visitors’ experience quality to decline and as a result resource utility decreases. Since no research in Iran has been directed at variables influencing visitors’ perceived crowding, the purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize these variables. To achieve this goal, a field study was conducted in 2011 Norouz Holliday at Margoon Waterfall using visitor’s questionnaire. Study sample were chosen from domestic tourists visiting Margoon Waterfall. Descriptive-inferential statistics were used for the analysis. Results from 273 questionnaires analyzed, showed that 4 variables contribute to visitors’ perceived crowding at Margoon Waterfall respectively: expectation from number of others, lack of parking space, other visitors’ behavior, lack of picnic space. In addition, there were statically significant difference between perceived crowding and location at site.