The Analysis of the Impact of Land Use on Tourism Development and Security in Golestan Province

The land use affects security and tourism through attention to recognizing the specific capacities of the regions, economic efficiency, territorial unity, regional justice and equilibrium, preserving the environment and restoring natural resources, safeguarding cultural heritage and removing deprivations. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to analyze the impact of land use planning on tourism development and security in Golestan province.

In terms of its objectives this study is of an applied research type and in terms of methodology it is considered as a descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population of the study consisted of tourists of Golestan province who were selected using Cochran formula. Structural equation modeling, Sobel test and regression coefficient were used to analyze the data.

Findings show that land use and tourism development variables have 64% effect on national security and land use influence tourism development 11%. There is a significant and mutual relationship between land use and national security (with path coefficient of 0.444) as well as between land use and tourism development (with path coefficient of 0.329). The relationship between tourism development and national security is a mutual and significant relationship (with path coefficient of 0.329). According to the Sobel test, the impact of tourism development as a mediating variable between land use planning and national security is confirmed at 95%.

The results show that tourism development has a positive and significant effect on national security. At the 95% level, the impact of tourism development was confirmed as a mediating variable between land use planning and tourism development. Quantitative tourism development (p <0.01, t = 7.0212) mediates the effect of land use on security and plays a facilitating role between these two variables.