Presenting a framework for the development of inclusive shopping tourism

Nowadays, policymakers take advantage of various tools and strategies for sustainable development, one of which is the development of shopping tourism. Paying attention to strategic planning for empowerment and capacity building is vital when tourism development in various and inclusive forms is proposed. Accordingly, this study was conducted to provide a framework for the development of inclusive shopping tourism.Design/methodology/approach: This was a qualitative study, an applied one in terms of purpose, and a descriptive-analytical one in terms of nature and method. The study population consisted of three groups (tourists and pilgrims, experts and businesses, and managers and experts from executive organizations in Qom province). The sample was selected by purposeful sampling, and exploratory interviews with 26 people from the first group, 14 people from the second group, and 14 people from the third group continued until theoretical saturation was achieved.

In this study, the six-step thematic analysis procedure proposed by Braun and Clarke was used to code and analyze the findings. In this way, 143 propositions and concepts were labeled in the form of 16 basic themes, 4 organizing themes, and 2 global themes.

According to the results, there should be a kind of re-creation and multiple synergies between the factors and their main actors, i.e., developmental measures and stimulating requirements, to develop inclusive shopping tourism. In the meantime, the formation and re-creation of this type of synergy require the identification and explanation of the main actors of this field as an inclusive ecosystem, which in this study are referred to as content-structural factors and institutional-executive factors. According to their performance and executive mechanisms, these actors will significantly contribute to the development of sustainable inclusive shopping tourism.Originality/value: This research, by using various research tools and by identifying the main players and also explaining the nature of the shopping tourism environment, seeks to create a framework for the inclusive development of this field.