Child-centered tourism development in Bandar Abbas: Family indicators and future role

Contemporary urban planning in many developed cities faces challenges in fostering children's social development. For the sustainable development of Bandar Abbas, it is crucial to consider the creation of urban environments that facilitate and encourage children's social interaction. The child tourist is an inspiration to the world of tourism, a missing link that has received less attention. Tourism, by exposing children to experiences beyond their everyday lives, offers significant opportunities for cognitive development, fostering learning and potentially exceeding the educational impact of parental guidance. These novel experiences can have profound and lasting effects on a child's understanding of the world. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the indicators of tourism development in regional development with an emphasis on a child-friendly environment, a case study of the city of Bandar Abbas. The research method is descriptive-analytical. The statistical population of this study is 200 seventh-grade students (first secondary school in Bandar Abbas), one hundred of whom are girls and one hundred of whom are boys. For descriptive and inferential analysis of the data, the T-Test statistical test was used in SPSS software. The results of the T-test indicated the significance of the indicators of fatalism, social trust, and cultural capital in social mobility. This study's findings indicate a strong correlation between the future of tourism and the well-being of future generations, particularly children. Furthermore, the trend toward smaller family units underscores the increasing importance of addressing children's needs and preferences within the tourism sector. From the perspective of the statistical population, that is, children, most of the studied variables are significant. Among the tourist destinations, the sea is the priority. Tourism in desert areas is lower than the average. Regarding travel vehicles, the tendency to use buses is not approved, but personal and public vehicles such as trains and aeroplanes are approved. Regarding the season for traveling, spring is the most popular of all seasons, however, winter is not very popular. Regarding the safety and security index, having health services and related equipment and proximity to treatment centers and medical emergencies was more important than other variables and of great importance for planning tourist areas.