Analytical Study of Parameters Affecting Ecological Footprint of Tourists, Visiting Bistoon Historical Area in Kermanshah Using Principle Components Analysis

The tourist industry can affect the environment, taking into account the attributes of the local area and of the visitors. In addition to the characteristics and natural resources of the destination, the demographic variables such as income, age and education affect the tourists` behavior, perception of the environment and impacts on the nature. Estimating the ecological footprint shows the numerical value of each activity and behavior of tourists, and provides a snapshot of the impact of consumption of resources. In this research, using the distribution of a questionnaire in four seasons among tourists in the historical region of Bistoon, Kermanshah, the required data for calculating the ecological footprint such as the consumption of water, food, electricity and parameters necessary to calculate the transportation footprint, as well as the amount of waste produced, were collected. The results showed that the role of food variable was significant, while the role of water was moderate and the effect of transportion was relatively low. The food variable was important for tourists, and this is more important based on the characteristics of age and Visitor's place of residence, while the level of education was ranked in the second place. The importance of the three variables of water, food and transport in the income attribute was almost the same, indicating that the expectation of each stratum is proportional to the income level. Therefore, it is recommended that the places providing food should be more closely monitored and controlled and the quality of services should rise.