The Importance of Khorram Abad Valley in the Sustainable Development of Tourism with the Approach to Providing basis for Registration in the World Heritage

Introduction :

Many development planners and politicians regard the tourism industry as one of the main pillars of sustainable development, so that many countries consider tourism as the main source of income, employment, private sector growth and infrastructure development. Sustainable development is one of the most important development strategies that in the tourism sector should help improve the quality of life of the residents, improve the economic benefits and protect the natural environment of the communities, and provide a high quality experience for visitors and tourists. Khorram Abad city in the center of Lorestan province and western Iran, although it has been selected by the United Nations as a pilot for the implementation of sustainable urban development through tourism, but failure to reach the principles of tourism sustainability in the Khorram Abad Valley (southern part of Khorram Abad city), despite the numerous natural and historical potentials that date back to the latest archaeological finds dating back over 50,000 years, has led, despite efforts Abundantly, the field of recording this valley in the world heritage remains unconcealed. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to study and analyze the tourism characteristics of the Khorram Abad Valley and provide necessary strategies for recording the valley in the World Heritage.

Materials and Methods:

 This research is based on analytical-field research in four stages using a library resource, a researcher-made questionnaire, topographic maps 1: 25000, Arc GIS and SPSS software, and AHP, TOPSIS and SWOT models. The statistical population of the study is 30 experts in the field of tourism. In the first stage, the historical, natural, sporting, recreational and cultural attractions of the study area were gathered. Then, the effective criteria were evaluated and extracted based on the expert’s opinions. In the second stage, the identification and evaluation of internal weaknesses and strengths, threats and opportunities for tourism development in the Khorram Abad Valley were investigated. In the third stage, the ranking of factors affecting the development of tourism in Khorram Abad valley using the TOPSIS model and the overall ranking of factors affecting the development of tourism in Khorram Abad Valley was based on Friedman test. In the end, analyzing the data obtained from the review of the models and presented the results.

Result & Discussion :

To analyze the tourism situation in Khorram Abad Valley, the most important features in the Khorram Abad Valley, which include natural, cultural-historical, religious, recreational and sporting capabilities, are identified and their influence on the views and opinions of tourists is used and the results of the studies were analyzed using the SWOT-AHP model. The results showed that among the indicators assessed in the natural sector (natural and artificial lakes in the city), among cultural indicators (existence of authentic historical and cultural museums from different historical layers) Among the sports indexes (sporting events) and among recreational indicators (the existence of large parks in cities), the most important and, in other words, the most important among the tourist attractions studied in each section. The study of factors influencing tourism development in the studied area using the SWOT model showed that having beautiful natural scenery such as river, cave, enclosure in the mountain, springs in the city and being located in the center of the province as the most important strengths and Factors such as the low social security coefficient, the lack of parking, the lack of trained human resources in tourism and inappropriate management are the main weaknesses in tourism development. Also, In spite of numerous opportunities for tourism development, the lack of proper infrastructure for tourism development in the city, the disappearance of indigenous cultures and socio-cultural interactions due to the presence of tourists and the lack of appropriate capital due to the shorter duration of tourist stay are among the most important threats to tourism in the area Study are considered. The analysis of the effective factors on the development of tourism in Khorram Abad valley using the TOPSIS model showed that using the participatory system of people, governmental and non-governmental organizations are ranked first in the elaboration of measures for the development of tourism in the Khorram Abad Valley. Also, analyzing the factors affecting the development of tourism in Khorram Abad Valley in terms of four main factors management, existing tourism potential, economic and social, using Friedman test showed that management factor in the development of tourism in Khorram Abad Valley is more effective than other factors.

Conclusion :

In order to develop the tourism of the Khorram Abad valley and to provide its global registration as one of the oldest settlements of human civilization, the influential components were studied. The results of the analysis showed that using the participatory system of people, governmental and non-governmental organizations are of the highest importance in prioritizing measures to develop tourism in Khorram Abad Valley. Also, the important natural and historical features of the Khorram Abad valley, such as one of the oldest human habitats, the natural environment and ecosystem, the sequence of cultures and civilizations and cultural diversity in the Khorram Abad Valley shows the importance of the global registration of the study area. The result is that the valley has special historical and natural monuments that make it distinct from other areas. These natural and historical attractions have global values and can be transformed into one of the world's touring cities by means of metropolitan planning. This is when it is possible at the first stage to preserve and restore historical landscapes and natural landscapes at the head of the provincial politics and planning. It should also be possible to control and direct it by adopting an appropriate and efficient approach with strong management based on the Governing Board and the participation of the responsible authorities and the private sector under supportive and encouraging policies and exemptions. Then By achieving the desired strategic goals and objectives, created the basis for sustainable development in this city and province.