Formulation Sustainable Tourism Planning and Management Model for Protection of National Parks

Sustainable tourism management and planning is one of the most important goals of communities to protect the environment and natural resources. National parks are one of the main natural and environmental resources for tourism, which need comprehensive protection. The aim of this study is to develop a sustainable tourism management and planning model for the protection of national parks.
Design/methodology/approach: This study is applied research according to its purpose and follows a partially mixed sequential equal status design. This research is carried out in three qualitative-qualitative-quantitative phases, in which three methods of "meta-synthesis, thematic analysis, and survey" were used.

In the first phase of the study, the researcher identified 52 items that were in accordance with the subject and content of the research using the meta synthesis method, and by examining their content, only 17 articles in the meta-synthesis process were chosen. In the next step, the thematic analysis method, using tools such as semi-structured interviews, 162 indicators were identified, from which 46 basic themes, 12 organizing themes, and three global themes were extracted. In the third phase, i.e. the quantitative phase, with the help of a questionnaire, all indicators were examined and considered from the perspective of experts. Finally, indicators such as the "role of responsible institutions and organizations, development of environmental protection infrastructure, the role of society, problem definition, and agenda setting" were considered the most important and effective indicators of sustainable tourism management and planning model for the protection of national parks.

By creating and adopting sustainable tourism management and planning for the protection of national parks, while establishing communication and interaction at three important and key levels of "community, institutions and responsible organizations, and tourists and visitors", basic measures can be taken to preserve and develop national parks in the form of sustainable management and planning in the field of tourism.

For the first time, the present research has developed a sustainable tourism management and planning model for the protection of national parks, and in terms of methodology, it is among the few studies that have used the relative partially mixed sequential equal status design. The results of the research can be useful for trustee organizations in an executive manner.