An Evaluation of the Development of Tourism Based on Life Cycle of the Destination (A Case Study of Boyer Ahmad)

The concept of life cycle has been regarded by scientific society as a scientific discussion for planning, managing tourism productions and destinations, analyzing and specifying mobility mechanism of tourism development, reflecting internal forces and external parameters of development, and behavioral pattern of tourism development system. Considering behavioral pattern of tourists in tourism destinations and level of destination attractiveness, one can analyze the chronological changes through the model. The aim of the present study was to evaluate stages of tourism development in Boyer-Ahmad according to Butler life cycle model. Accordingly, evaluation of stages of tourism development in the region was performed using a descriptive-analytical method and experts and people survey. The sample size was 195 people which was estimated by the PASS software at the certainty level of 99%. The instruments of the study included a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 37 items the reliability of which was confirmed 0.93 by Cronbach’s alpha test. The obtained results demonstrated that Boyer-Ahmad is in tourism development based on Butler model and from the viewpoints of experts and inhabitants of Boyer-Ahmad; the development is a newly starting one.