Prioritization of Villages with Tourism Capability in East Azarbaijan Province for Tourism Planning and Development Using TOPSIS Model

Rural tourism development is desirable for villages that have sufficient resources and potential for tourism, potential markets for attracting tourists and investing enough to support the tourism sector. Considering that the local and regional relative capabilities and advantages are different due to the impact of various economic, social and environmental factors, this leads to the superiority of some areas. Therefore, the first and most important step in promoting tourism is the recognition of the attractions and capabilities of the regions. Understanding local and regional advantages and abilities is one of the fundamental principles of development planning. This and other issues, such as job creation, rising incomes, reduced immigration, etc. have led to the development of tourism in rural areas that has the potential for tourism development. The present research is an applied research that has been carried out with the aim of evaluating and leveling villages with tourist attraction in East Azarbaijan province. The research method was descriptive survey and questionnaire was used to identify the 26 indicators for the villages using the Delphi method. Then, by collecting the data from the questionnaire, the villages with the tourism ability were prioritized using the Topsis method. The population of the study was experts who have knowledge and experience in the field of rural tourism. According to the results of the study, the villages of Nowjeh Mehrwith a score of 0.8433, Kordasht with a score of 0.6938 and Duzal with a score of 0.6116 were ranked first to third.