Presenting a Smart Tourism Model Considering the Social Media Factor (Case Study: Hamedan)

In our country, smart tourism has not been paid as much attention as it should be, there is no practical model for it, effective studies have not been conducted on it, and the social media factor has not been taken into account in it. The purpose of this research is to explain the smart tourism model considering the factor of social media. The applied research method in this study is the grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin). For this purpose, through the purposive sampling of the obvious cases selection, the data of 25 participants, including individuals working in governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions in Hamedan, was collected and analyzed through semi-structured interviews, and then the smart tourism model was designed considering the social media factor. Findings of this research show that the correct use of smart tourism considering the social media factor can lead to the development of the country in the shadow of the development engine (tourism), create sustainable employment, boost small and local businesses, develop the international tourism, and increase the income of tourism institutions.