Investigating the role of lighting in increasing security and developing tourism in new cities (the case of the new city of Baharestan, Iran)

Today, tourism has a significant effect on different economic, cultural and political dimensions of a country. Success in this field requires attention to providing facilities in tourism destinations. One of the most influential facilities in this connection is lighting. By creating value, urban lighting increases the capabilities of tourism attractions and results in increased sense of security among tourists and citizens and thus helps develop the tourism industry. This paper was an attempt to investigate the importance of city lighting as one of the most significant urban elements and to examine its impact on the security of tourists visiting the city of Baharestan. The study was a descriptive-analytical field inquiry. The data was collected using questionnaires. The population comprised all over-20-year-old citizens of the city of Baharestan in 2015 whose number was unknown. 2 22 D SZn = formula was used to determine the sample size, which was finally determined to be 507 individuals. The study used purposive sampling. SPSS software and t-test were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that over 80% of the population of the city of Baharestan believed in the importance of lighting in enhancing security and convenience at night and in further developing tourism and increasing the attractiveness of tourism spaces. Besides, they also expressed satisfaction with the city’s lighting.