The Role of Tourism in Free Zones and Its Effect on the Development of Medium and Small Surrounding Cities (A Case of Aras Free Zone)

The tourism economy serves as the most effective stimulus for countries grappling with an inefficient economy, often caused by overreliance on a single product or limited income sources. Tourism development stands out as a key strategy for fostering economic and social transformation in regions worldwide, consistently attracting the attention of researchers and planners. Iran’s free and special economic zones offer a wide array of tourism opportunities. One such example is the Aras Free Zone in East Azarbaijan province, which, owing to its temperate climate and diverse tourist attractions, attracts a substantial number of tourists and travelers each year. The statistical population for this research comprised 75 residents of the surrounding areas, as well as city officials and experts. The research data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. The results revealed that the following factors (in descending order) have the highest ranks: road and communication infrastructure, access to water, access to residences and guest houses, gas infrastructure, access to sports facilities, access to food and nutrition services, access to suitable communication facilities, setting up exhibitions, access to suitable facilities for leisure, transportation suitable for land and intra-city transportation, and appropriate information and advertising.