Investigating the geotourism capabilities of Ardabil

Geotourism is a core knowledge that comes from the interdisciplinary integration of the tourism industry with the preservation and interpretation of inanimate nature attractions along with cultural issues related to them in the form of geosites to the general public. The purpose of this research is to investigate the geotourism capabilities of Ardabil province using Kobalikova model and Violet model. For this purpose, three geo-tourist areas including: Nir, Nemin, Sarein were selected. In the current research, the Kubalikova model, which emphasizes scientific, educational, economic, conservation and cultural criteria, was used, as well as the Fiolet model, which examines geotourist areas based on four criteria: origin of formation, geographical distribution, tourism, and access status. . The results showed that according to the Kubalikova model, the geotourist area of Sarein with a value of (9) has obtained the highest score compared to other geotourist areas, and also the results of Violet's model showed that among the geotourist areas of Sarein city with a score of (10) out of the total Effective subjects have different abilities compared to other areas. In the results of the Kubalikova and Violet models, Nemin region received the lowest score in prioritizing geotourist areas. The results obtained from the combination of Fiolet's model showed that the geotourist area has the most favorable conditions for the development and attraction of tourists in Ardabil province. Therefore, it can be concluded that by identifying and creating facilities in the geotourism areas of Ardabil province, it will lead to the attraction of tourists and the development of welfare infrastructure.