The Impact of Cultural Elements on the Tourism Development of the Dezpart County

Tourism development in any region requires attention to certain indicators and their improvement. One of the most important elements related to tourism is cultural elements. This research aims to investigate the impact of cultural elements on the development of tourism in Dezpart County. The research method is based on the objective, descriptive-analytical and quantitative approach. The data collection tool was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by the elites of the society and its reliability was also confirmed using Cronbach's alpha test (0.79). The statistical population of the research was made up of experts from the administrative offices in Dezpart County. Exact statistics on the number of available experts were not available, but 50 experts were surveyed in this study. The findings showed that the tourism development indicators, except for two variables of historical-cultural attractions with an average of 3.66 and security with an average of 3.68, do not have a desirable status in the region. Pearson correlation indicates that there is a relationship between cultural elements and tourism development. It was found through regression analysis that the highest impact on regional tourism development is related to the variable of historical and cultural attractions with a coefficient of 0.163, followed by education and literacy with a coefficient of 0.132. Therefore, the cultural elements of the region have the potential to develop tourism and overcome existing challenges. Four cultural strategies are proposed for tourism development, including participation and community organizations, management and planning of services, education and skilled workforce, and empowerment of women.