Relationships Between Place Attachment and Satisfaction in the Natural and Historical Site of Kandovan Village

Historical natural heritage with spiritual and tangible values play an important role in maintaining the natural structure and cultural identity of settlements. Such heritage is typically regarded as an agenda to interact with the nature. The present research relies on research methods that examine human interaction with human-made and natural environments. Henceforth, it looks into the issue of place attachment, as a second-level factor, and its relationship with the satisfaction of visitors. Place attachment is presumed to affect the individual's behaviors in the protection of historically important elements. This study is of correlation-analysis type. To this end, structural equation modeling was used to reveal the hypothetical relationship model between the main variables of the study. The study also makes use of a 152-person sample consisting of visitors of Kandovan historical natural village and second order factor analysis to test a model. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the dimensions of place attachment variable, and structural equation modeling was employed to investigate the effect of place attachment on satisfaction.. Additionally, General linear and multiple correlation analyses were employed to reveal the relationship of different variables and their impacts on one another. The results of second order factor analysis revealed that the four dimensions of place attachment bear significant value in uncovering the place attachment variable. Moreover, the results obtained from structural equation modeling indicate positive and significant effect of place attachment dimensions on place satisfaction of visitors. The goodness–of-Fit indices also show an appropriate goodness of fit of theoretical model with experimental observations. The main theoretical aspect is related to inserting the four dimensions of place attachment in a single model. The important finding that was observed was that respective officials should take into consideration the visitor's attachment by investing in features, infrastructures, influential factors, and distinguished activities of the village as evidence indicates the influence of place attachment dimensions. Accordingly, the study suggests that this might be achieved via providing information (for example, in form of pamphlets, information table, tour leaders, and websites), which permits the visitors to play a role in maintaining the village historical natural heritage. The findings also show that place identity and emotional connection with the place significantly increases place attachment. Consequently, durable measures in historical natural villages might be improved among visitors by promoting place attachment and encouraging responsible actions.In turn, it may confirm the advantages obtained from attempts of the village tourism management in promoting the influential factor and suitable directing of investment on strategies, which lead to more attachment for visitors. The influential factors promoting strategies could range from on-site attractions marketing and post-visit interpretation with the purpose of ensuring revisits. Besides, catagorizing visitors based on their satisfaction of the place could also be important to the officials. They might collect visitor's satisfaction and demographic data through surveys. This type of data makes it possible for officials to know about the characteristics of the visitors who are highly satisfied of the place. By using these types of data, it would become possible to start persuasive agenda to encourage visitors to take part in programs and projects of maintaining the village historical and natural heritage. This is, in fact, a successful process as it could motivate visitors to revisit the place. Additionally, giving information to the visitors in the place (via leaflets for example) about their participation in maintaining the heritage might be beneficial for to the officials and even the local society. Such a strategy might guide first-time and more than one-time visitors and be in line with both groups benefits. The present study findings might significantly contribute in the rural tourism programs and function positively for further related studies.