نشریه گردشگری شهری
سال یازدهم شماره 4 (زمستان 1403)

Infectious diseases cause behavioral and social changes. tourism industry and tourist guides are also changing like other sectors.Before the covid, Ardabil province was an active province in the field of nature and culture tourism, and nature guides and cultural guides of both groups were active in this province. So this study aims to examine the impacts of COVID-19 on different aspects of urban tourist guides' lives. this research was conducted as qualitative research in a phenomenological format. 16 tourist guides of Ardabil were investigated by snowball sampling method to collect data. the data was obtained using semi-structured interviews and analyzed in a seven-step Colaizzi method.based on the analysis the positive and negative dimensions of life were recorded in this period and 10 categories of meanings were identified for the lived experience of the tourist guides of Ardabil province during the outbreak of COVID-19, which are: changes in lifestyle, economic challenges and opportunities, transformation of employment pattern, changing in attitudes, advertising, compliance with health issues, changing forms of social relations, mental and psychological issues, stagnation in activities and organizational obstacles.

The development of smart technology has led to the birth of smart tourism, which can improve tourists' experience and satisfaction both before, during, and after the trip. A group of factors and features of smart technologies can affect the creation of a memorable experience and the intention of tourists to visit again. This study examines the role of tourists' use of smart technologies in the travel experience of satisfaction and the intention to visit again in Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, and Tabriz. The data required for this study was collected through a standard questionnaire completed by 540 people who have visited these metropolises in the last two years. The structural equation modeling method and Smart PLS software were used to evaluate the impact of each of these factors. The results of this research showed that there is a significant relationship between the variables of informativeness, interaction, and personalization and memorable experience. Also, memorable experience has led to the satisfaction of tourists and the intention to visit again among them. Anyway, the results of this study showed that the ability to access smart tourism technologies has no significant relationship with a memorable experience.

The Lut Desert is one of Iran's and the world's unique geosystems. Its evolution and transformation have led to the formation of inherent diversity and dominance in environmental characteristics. These two features, diversity and uniqueness, have provided this unit with inherent capabilities for tourism development. Therefore, using the technique of future studies, this study identifies, prioritizes, and formulates the most important factors that determine the development of Lut Desert tourism. It presents a suitable framework for planning in the horizon of 2036. In terms of purpose, this study is practical, and this research uses a combination of documentary and survey methods. In terms of nature, it is based on future studies and exploratory and analytical methods. This was carried out by applying a combination of quantitative and qualitative models. The documentary and Delphi methods were mainly used to collect data. MICMAC software was also utilized for data analysis. Following initial discussion sessions with twenty tourism elites and experts as the study sample, fourteen variables out of forty were identified as the most important and uncertain factors related to the research topic. These variables were extracted from a review of sources and expert interviews, focusing on development factors. Five driving forces of potential alternatives were identified for future development during the analysis of the mutual effects between these factors. These driving forces include planning and policy development for Lut Desert tourism, governance development, strengthening the country's sovereignty in Lut Desert tourism development, improving the economic system, and enhancing financial support and investment. As a result, by applying the future research technique and taking into consideration the mentioned key drivers, decisions and plans will be directed and placed on a targeted path in the direction of the sustainable development of Lut desert ecotourism.

The present research aims to examine the impact of smart tourism technologies on tourists' experiences. Tourism is an information-driven industry, and the development of information technologies can fundamentally change the performance and structure of this industry. This study is conducted as an applied survey research using standard questionnaires on "smart tourism technology" and "tourist experience." The statistical population includes tourists visiting museums in Tehran in 2023. The research hypotheses were tested through regression analysis using SPSS and SMART PLS software in the inferential section. The results of the correlation analysis between the variables of smart tourism technology and the perceived value of tourists' experiences, using the Pearson correlation coefficient, showed that the variables of subjective experience (correlation coefficient 0.776), emotional experience (correlation coefficient 0.732), behavioral experience (correlation coefficient 0.768), existential experience (correlation coefficient 0.710), and recreational experience (correlation coefficient 0.736) have a positive and significant correlation with the variable of smart tourism technology from the tourists' perspective. Additionally, the results indicated that smart tourism technology overall has a positive and significant effect on tourists' experiences, with an effect size of 0.715. Moreover, the findings revealed that among the features of smart tourism technology, information has the largest effect size of 0.298; accessibility ranks second with an effect size of 0.292; and personalization ranks third with an effect size of 0.183 on the perceived value of tourists' experiences. Interaction has a significant impact only on the subjective experience dimension, with a standard coefficient of 0.177, ranking fourth, while security has no effect on any of the dimensions of tourists' experiences, placing it in fifth place.

The aim of the present research was to identify the pattern of development of artificial intelligence and smart technologies in improving urban tourism experience. This research is applied in terms of its objective and was conducted using a qualitative method of thematic analysis. The statistical population of the research included experts and senior managers in the tourism industry, as well as staff and managers of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Tehran in the year 1403 (2024/2025). Using purposive sampling, 30 individuals were selected as the sample. To extract the dimensions of the final research model, the systematic method of Strauss and Corbin (1998) was used. The validity of the findings was evaluated using four criteria: credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability, as well as the researcher’s self-review and agreement between two coders. The findings were analyzed based on the coding method in MAXQDA software. According to the research findings, 398 basic themes, 33 organizing themes, and 7 overarching themes were identified, which include artificial intelligence, digital tourism marketing, cryptocurrencies and the financial ecosystem in tourism, social media in tourism, branding, the Internet of Things, and technological infrastructure as dimensions of the model for developing artificial intelligence and smart technologies to improve urban tourism experience. Based on the findings of this research, it is suggested that tourism industry managers enhance urban tourism by considering the dimensions of the extracted model.

Tourism activity is a global industry, and thus it is exposed to global risks. Covid-19 and tourism are intricately connected. Tourists were among those who suffered the most damage in the initial stages of the disease outbreak. They became carriers of this disease and eventually became victims of travel and tourism. In the 21st century, the two driving factors for change in the tourism industry are climate change and global health emergencies. Urgent attention to this event and the future of travel and tourism is necessary in a world where disease outbreaks and epidemics are increasingly being considered due to increased travel and ease of access to destinations worldwide. Concerning practical purpose, the present research has been carried out using the survey method at the exploratory level based on the future research approach. In this research, using the Delphi method and the participation of 34 experts, the results were analyzed in the Mic Mac software environment. Then these factors were determined based on the degree of importance and uncertainty, prioritization, and the most critical factors to identify the drivers. A key from the software (Mic Mac) is used. The results show that ten variables were identified as vital drivers among the 36 effective variables discovered in the future state of Shiraz tourism. The results indicate that the key driver of the non-publication of the statistics on the incidence of covid-19 with a score of 92 has the highest impact factor on other variables. Also, the lack of a single plan to deal with this crisis is the municipality's cooperation to monitor health more. Public places and spaces were identified in the agenda of the development of healthy city policies as other key drivers of tourism and obstacles to improving the tourism situation during the occurrence of infectious diseases in Shiraz metropolis.

Community-based tourism (CBT) aims to include local communities in tourism development and distribute benefits fairly. However, its implementation faces challenges. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the causes, backgrounds, and interventions before taking action because each community faces different problems and will also achieve different results from adopting a community-based approach. In any case, so far, a comprehensive model for the development of community-based tourism tailored to the conditions of the country has not been presented. To this end, this study has presented this model by combining systematic and grounded theory methods. Four article indexing databases were selected, and 55 articles were obtained using the PRISMA checklist and critical evaluation guide, which were carefully analyzed. The results show that the level of infrastructural and economic development of the destination and the perception of residents of tourism development form the causal conditions of community-based tourism. Also, cohesion, solidarity, coordination between stakeholders, and spatial and social commitments pave the way for the willingness of residents to participate in tourism development. However, the mere existence of these grounds does not mean the realization of community-based tourism. Due to Iran's centralized and top-down planning structure, the government and leadership at the macro and micro levels can strengthen or weaken these grounds. Thus, the development of community-based tourism in the country requires policy, social, economic, and technical measures and strategies that contribute to the achievement of its outcomes, including sustainability and destination image. The results help plans that aim to develop community-based tourism to identify the conditions that must be controlled or manipulated in case of failure.