Identifying and Prioritizing the Impact of Tourism Development Indicators on the Prosperity of Rural Handicraft Cooperatives in the Northern Savdkouh County

The main objective of this study was to determine and prioritize the indicators of tourism development and their impact on the prosperity of rural handicraft cooperatives

This research employed a mixed descriptive approach and was conducted in Northern Savadkuh county in 2022-2023. The data collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The dimensions that were deemed effective in the development of the tourism industry were identified through the review of the existing literature and were subsequently presented to a panel of experts consisting of 10 individuals. These dimensions were presented in the form of a questionnaire. Duplicate options were eliminated, resulting in a final questionnaire consisting of 55 items. The study sample comprised of 30 professionals working in the field of tourism and hospitality, who were selected based on purposive sampling. To analyze the data and reveal the mutual relationships among the criteria, the DEMATEL technique was employed. Finally, the Analytic Network Process (ANP) method was used to analyze the data.

The cultural-social, environmental, and economic dimensions, along with the increase in income and entrepreneurial spirit, are identified as the most significant indicators of tourism development and the prosperity of rural handicraft cooperatives. Among these indicators, the increase in income and employment is found to have the highest impact and the most significant interaction with other criteria. The prioritization of the main criteria reveals that the cultural-social dimension holds the foremost priority, followed by the environmental dimension, while the increase in income and employment are assigned the third priority. By employing calculations and the limit supermatrix, it is determined that the sub-criterion of the positive attitude of individuals towards tourism and the weaknesses in the existing infrastructure are ranked as the first and second priorities, respectively.

The most influential factors driving tourism development in the Northern Savadkuh County are included the local residents’ attitudes toward tourism, particularly in the socio-cultural dimension, infrastructure weaknesses, distance from villages and markets in the environmental dimension, and the enhancement of job opportunities and employment within the region