The Impact of the Anzali Free Zone on Tourism Development in the Gilan Province: A Synthetic control methods

The establishment of free industrial trade zones in the world has often been able to lead to the development and prosperity of the surrounding areas. Tourism is one of the most important sectors affected by the free zone. Free trade-industrial zones, due to their legal structure and ease of international trade, can develop tourism and thus cause development and progress around the region. Anzali Free Zone is one of the most important free zones in Iran and the only free zone on the Caspian Sea coast, which was established in 2005. Considering the importance of the Anzali Free Trade Zone and the goals set for it, this study has investigated whether the establishment of the Anzali Free Zone has been able to have a positive effect on tourism in Gilan. in this study, to answer this question, Synthetic control methods have been used. According to the results of the implementation of the Synthetic control methods, the establishment of the Anzali Free Zone has had a positive and significant effect on the tourism value added in Gilan province. As the results of the simulated model show that compared to the situation where the Anzali Free Zone was not established, the establishment of the Anzali Free Zone has increased the per capita value added of tourism in Gilan province by more than 30%, in other words, if Non-establishment of Anzali Free Zone in 2005, currently the per capita value added of tourism in Gilan province was almost 70% of the current amount