نشریه فضای گردشگری
پیاپی 46 (بهار 1402)

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze the economic potential of Arbaeen tourism in Khuzestan Province. This study is theoretical in terms of its purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature and methodology. The results indicate that Arbaeen tourism has a significant impact on the physical infrastructure of Khuzestan Province. Additionally, Arbaeen tourism has played a role in promoting and marketing other forms of tourism at a moderate level. An assessment of the impact of Arbaeen tourism on the supply and demand of products and services in Khuzestan Province reveals a substantial influence on the supply and demand dynamics. Other findings from this study demonstrate that Arbaeen tourism has had effects on employment, income growth, production expansion, government revenue, and household expenditure. Finally, the Pearson correlation coefficient shows a positive and direct relationship between Arbaeen tourism and tourism branding in Khuzestan Province. Based on the results, it can be concluded that Arbaeen tourism possesses significant economic potential in Khuzestan Province, requiring an aggressive strategy.

Medical tourism presents opportunities for hospitals to leverage their potential in providing services. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), known for its comprehensive and high accuracy, plays a vital role in analyzing relative efficiency and measuring the performance of tourism industries. This study employs DEA to determine the efficiency of IPD-licensed hospitals in the field of medical tourism. The BCC and CCR output models are utilized, and gray ratio analysis is employed to compare and rank the effective units. The findings reveal that, based on the CCR model, eight out of 52 IPD-licensed hospitals in medical tourism demonstrate efficiency, while based on the BCC model, 18 hospitals exhibit efficiency, indicating inefficiency among the remaining hospitals. Furthermore, the study identifies and suggests referral hospitals based on the inefficient hospital model. It can be concluded that the return-to-fastness model is more stringent than the return-to-scale model, encompassing a smaller number of efficient units. Additionally, the calculated efficiency for each hospital in this model is lower than that in the return-to-scale model. Consequently, it is crucial for relevant managers to utilize the results of this method to enhance the efficiency of their hospitals.

The tourism industry operates as an interconnected system, where the synergy between its components is crucial. Tourist attractions alone are insufficient to drive travel or foster industry growth; instead, it is imperative to provide facilities and infrastructure to accommodate tourists. This research aims to assess the role of infrastructure and capabilities in the sustainable development of tourism along the Khorramabad to Arak axis. A descriptive-analytical approach was employed, utilizing document analysis and surveys through a researcher-made questionnaire. The research findings were analyzed and evaluated using the CoCoSo method, focusing on four infrastructure indicators: physical infrastructure (six dimensions), government infrastructure (four dimensions), service infrastructure (six dimensions), and cultural infrastructure (four dimensions). The results indicate that physical infrastructure plays a pivotal role in tourism development along the studied axis, achieving a score of 3.61 and ranking first. Service and government (management-institutional) infrastructures secured the second and third positions, with scores of 3.56 and 2.24, respectively. Cultural infrastructure, with a score of 1.46, obtained the lowest rating, indicating its relatively lower importance compared to the other dimensions.

Geomorphosites possess the potential to evolve into tourist destinations. Shadgan Wetland, benefiting from favorable weather conditions during winter and spring, attracts numerous tourists. This research aims to evaluate the tourism capabilities of Shadgan Wetland. The opinions of environmental experts and tourists were analyzed using the SWAT model and a Likert-scale questionnaire. The study involved three stages: identification of internal factors (IF) or strengths and weaknesses, identification of external factors (EFE) or opportunities and threats, and assigning weights to these factors. The results indicate that among the external factors, threats carry the highest weight of 2.52, while weaknesses have the highest weight of 3.39 among the internal factors. The strategic approach for this wetland entails a competitive strategy of maximum-minimum (wo) type, whereby officials should aim to capitalize on opportunities and mitigating or eliminating weaknesses.

The objective of this research is to develop a suitable model for evaluating the performance of professional skills among tour guides. A combination of scientific sources and questionnaire tools was employed to investigate this issue. The study was conducted in the summer of 2022 on a sample of 27 individuals comprising industry professionals, university experts, and tour guides in Iran. After finalizing the criteria and indicators (consisting of 7 criteria and 28 indicators), a structural equation modeling approach (SEM) was used to classify the criteria into three levels and present the research model. Furthermore, the influence and dependence of each criterion were examined. The findings of the research highlight the significance of the "enhancement of individual abilities and specialized knowledge" criterion, which emerged as the most influential one deserving greater attention.

This study focuses on the management of the central urban core of Hamadan, utilizing historical attractions and emphasizing the utilization of historical spaces. The research aims to determine the historical capacities of the central core in tourism development and identify key management components with a specific focus on historical attractions. The statistical population for this research comprises residents, tourists, and businesses located within the central core of Hamadan city. The study falls under the category of fundamental research, employing a descriptive and analytical research method. Data and information were collected using both library and field methods. The SWAT technique, questionnaire surveys, and the SPSS software were employed for data analysis. The research findings demonstrate that the sub-criterion of local investment participation significantly contributes to the development of tourism in the region. Incentive facilities such as granting loans, reducing taxes, and providing specialized entrepreneurial consultations to local investors can encourage local capital to be directed towards the development of tourism-based activities.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected various sectors, including tourism activities. The social responsibility of stakeholders in the tourism industry towards tourists has become crucial, with adherence to health guidelines being a key motivation for the use of catering units. Tourism serves as a solution to mitigate the economic losses caused by the pandemic, particularly in small-scale areas, and social responsibility plays a vital role in the sustainability of the industry and its impact on communities. This research aims to investigate the level and extent of social responsibility compliance among government institutions, local organizations, and catering unit managers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data, with 280 questionnaires distributed and completed by tourism sector professionals and experts. The reliability of the data was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha test in the SPSS, and correlation tests and T-tests were conducted for data analysis. The findings indicate that restaurants demonstrated the highest level of compliance with social responsibility against the COVID-19 pandemic, with a rating of 4.25. Conversely, Lamkadeh and resorts exhibited the lowest ratings of 2.55 and 2.77, respectively. Overall, the research reveals that tourism professionals, experts, and officials are aware of their responsibility towards incoming tourists in hospitality complexes and diligently follow health protocols to combat the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

The cityscape, particularly the city entrances, plays a significant role in attracting tourists and forming their initial impressions of a city. However, the entrance spaces of Ardabil, despite its rich cultural and historical heritage and strategic location as a major tourist destination, suffer from various problems and do not exhibit the desired characteristics. This research aims to assess the visual appeal and landscape quality of Ardabil's city entrances and prioritize them for future planning. The study adopts an applied research approach with a descriptive, analytical, and survey method. The research population consists of 15 urban planning experts and professionals in Ardabil. Four indicators, including physical, functional, aesthetic, and representation of the city's identity, were used to measure desirability. The Shannon's entropy model was utilized to assign weights to the indicators, and the PROMETHEE model was employed to prioritize the entrances based on the desired indicators. The results ranked the entrances as: 0.226, 0.011, -0.104, -0.074, with the first four entrances taking the top spots, and the Tehran-Ardabil entrance ranking fifth with a score of -0.059. Consequently, planning efforts should be organized according to the strengths and weaknesses of each entrance, while respecting the priority of intervention.