جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « رقابت پذیری » در نشریات گروه « جغرافیا »

Competitiveness index is one of the most important economic indicators in the classification of the regions in terms of the level of development and the level of competitiveness and economic power of a region evaluated based on this index. In this regard, this study, through descriptive analysis, and applied targeting, examines 20 provinces in terms of economic competitiveness indicators in East Azarbaijan province. The template has two main criteria. Generalized Shannon entropy models, Gray Relationship Analysis (GRA) and Moran's I spatial autocorrelation method and Arc GIS software were used for data analysis. The results of this study show that in terms of economic competitiveness of Tabriz city with regard to centrality of province and some facilities and large infrastructure with gray relationship score (0.432) in first place and Maragheh and Marand cities with Gray relationship scores (0.512) and (0.516) were ranked second and third respectively, while Khodaafarin city was ranked last (0.661). In terms of some of the indicators studied at the provincial level, 5% of the cities were at high level (1), 45% (9) at moderate level and 50% (10) at low level. In addition, in most of the components of economic competitiveness, the Moran index is less than one, indicating the predominant pattern of distribution of indicators is random and unplanned.

Tourism competitiveness holds significant importance in economic development. Enhancing competitiveness can lead to increased market share and economic growth in the tourism sector. Numerous studies have analyzed the determinants of tourism destination competitiveness. This research examines how tourism competitiveness in Iranian cities contributes to the country's economic development.The purpose of this research, on the one hand, is the link between the two concepts of competitiveness and the indicators used for measurement, and on the other hand, studies related to tourism competitiveness models and economic growth resulting from the presence of tourists. In terms of the nature of the research, the research method of the upcoming study is qualitative research, and in terms of the goal, it is developmental or applied in terms of methodology, it is analysis and copying tools, And the statistical population is used by experts and professors related to tourism competition and urban planning, and in the end, the analysis of information has been done by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The results obtained from these studies define a model in which the provision of heritage tourism resources with the provision of productive resources and the links between them are the elements that determine the capacity of an economy for production as a result of economic growth. The presented models have emphasized a set of related variables that indicate how they must be measured and evaluated. Even so, an increase in tourism activity contributes positively to economic growth, although how it does so, how much, as well as generalizing this contribution to the development of all countries or periods, are questions that remain. 

Based on this, the main problem of the research has been stated as follows: what are the concepts for creating competition between cities? Also, how can the government and the people solve the economic problems of society by using these competitions? On the other hand, how can actual and potential competition between cities lead to economic prosperity and solve other problems of cities and citizens? In this regard, Iran, as one of the countries whose economy is strongly dependent on oil, can move away from the oil economy by creating actual and potential competition between its cities, as well as changes in the texture of localities and the physicality of urban spaces to attract Tourists can promote  the economy caused by tourism.

the research method of the upcoming study is qualitative research, and in terms of the goal, it is developmental or applied in terms of methodology, it is analysis and copying tools, And the statistical population is used by experts and professors related to tourism competition and urban planning, and in the end, the analysis of information has been done by means of confirmatory factor analysis.

In this research, a new concept of the relationship between competitiveness, tourism, and growth has been presented in which the provision of hereditary resources, together with the provision of production resources and the links between them, are the elements that determine the capacity of an economy for production and as a result growth. The new conceptual framework of tourism variables, including the model, does not depend on demand factors. Instead, it directly focuses on production factors such as physical and human capital. Unlike previous models that measured tourism by tourism income or the number of tourists, this new model aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of tourism. (Lejárraga, Walkenhorst, 2010)This variable refers to the conditions of the territory, which motivates the offer of tourism in a geographical area. As shown in previous studies on measuring tourism competitiveness, what should be included in the conception of intrinsic resources of tourism remains an undefined question.

In general, it seems that in certain lands there is a series of elements that make those places attractive for tourists, which is related to culture, environment and climate. These sources are numerous, and some of them have been protected from interest over the past century, indicating that they are known as attractive elements for the reasons already mentioned. Therefore, from the measurement of those elements, it is possible to produce an index that includes only the elements related to culture, environment and climatic condition, with the previously shown tourism competitiveness measurement techniques, such as those applied in TTCI or CM. Several aspects should be considered when analyzing these relationships. Firstly, The number of foreign economic variables like public capital, private capital, and human territory are indicators of the competitiveness of destination tourism.The influence of production factors on competitiveness indicators is a direct result of economic growth. The second measure of tourism is usually income or the number of tourists, which involves connecting a demand variable with economic growth. In addition, the relationship between tourism and economic growth is influenced by other variables such as physical and human capital, as well as infrastructure. The study will be biased if these variables are not taken into account to explain growth. This research proposes that the relationships between tourism and territory can be viewed from the standpoint of the territory having certain inherent qualities or resources that make it attractive to travelers, rather than the influence of production factors. These Innate resources are known as inherited resources. The provision of those resources in a territory, along with the provision of production resources, such as private or public capital and human capital and their connection with each other, means the complementary or alternative relationships that exist between them, elements that determine the capacity of an economy to produce and thus grow.

Tourism industry has always played an important role in economic growth and development as well as increasing the national income of a country. The purpose of this study is to present a model of effective factors in the competitive position of tourism brand in Guilan.This research is of the combined type, in the qualitative part of which Grounded theory is used and according to the data collection method, it is considered as field research. The statistical population of the study is university professors and tourism managers in Guilan. In the qualitative part, theoretical sampling was used and the number of sample sizes due to theoretical saturation was 11 people.Analysis of data interviews to develop a competitive position model Guilan tourism brand by coding method showed that 300 open codes were identified and classified in 23 concepts in six main categories including competitive sources, Guilan brand competitive position, contextual factors, destination management operations. Destination, and intervening factors were divided. In order to measure the designed model, in the quantitative part of the research, the opinions of 169 managers and experts in the field of tourism in Guilan were used.It can be said that the key factor in positioning the destination brand in the minds of customers is the operations related to positioning, branding and advertising of that destination, and all other factors will be more pronounced with the correct implementation of this factor.

Cities have been competing with each other since its inception, with increasing urbanization and the complexity of the urban system. In an age that we call the age of knowledge and economics as a knowledge-based economy and global competition, we see intense competition between countries at the international level and cities at the national level. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to investigate the impact of competitiveness components on the promotion of urban knowledge-based economy in Kerman.The research method in this study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. Most of the data are based on field studies and questionnaires from 30 experts in the field of urban planning in the region. Findings of the study based on the method of Analysis Hierarchi Procces(AHP) show that between the indicators related to economic factors and indicators related to social factors, the coefficient of economic factors including: "economic performance", "economic structure and capacity", "technology transformation" "Information gathering", "Economic transformation", "Space transformation" and "Marketing" with a rate of 59.5% have the greatest impact on social factors including: "human resources", "quality of life", "level of urban development", "performance "Government" and "Environmental Performance" account for 40.5% of the total final weight. And among the 11 economic and social components of competitiveness affecting the formation of urban knowledge-based economy, economic structure and capacity and economic performance with 12 and 10.5, respectively, the formation of knowledge-based economy have the highest impact factor. Therefore, in order to achieve comprehensive development, the city of Kerman needs effective attention to economic factors, because the most effective drivers of social factors are the most effective drivers in the formation and promotion of knowledge-based economy in the city of Kerman.

. Considering the increasing development of this part of the tourism industry, the discussion of marketing and competitiveness is considered among the new and serious issues in this field. The purpose of the current research is to evaluate and analyze the geotourism competitiveness of Nir city. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses can help to improve the competitiveness of geotourism in Nir city. Pavlova model was used in this research. This model is based on the formation of positive and negative factors and related calculations. The results indicate that among the positive factors, three factors, the possibility of spa treatment with a weight percentage of 19.95, hydrogeological sites with a weight percentage of 18.06, and protected areas with a weight percentage of 11.11 are the most important positive factors in the competitiveness of Nir city. Coming. Among the negative factors, the lack of suitable infrastructure with a weighted percentage of 21.43, budget deficit for the development of the region with a weighted percentage of 19.64, and the non-conceptual development of geotourism with a weighted percentage of 17.86 are considered to be among the most effective negative factors on the competitiveness of tourism in Nir city. The results of the ranking ratio show that the positive factors gained 56.25 percent weight and the negative factors got 43.75 percent weight. Based on this, the rating ratio of tourism competitiveness of Nir city is equal to 1.67, which is in the good classification group. Therefore, it is concluded that the presence of serious weaknesses in some fields of tourism in Nir city, such as insufficient or unfavorable spatial of infrastructure and facilities, has caused Nir city not to be placed in the top tiers in terms of the of geotourism. Therefore, it is suggested to study the factors affecting tourism economy in future studies.

Development is an important issue in the policy of developing countries such as Iran. In the meantime, paying attention to low-development areas, espite the high potentials, canbe considered in the direction of sustainable development, where competitiveness as a new approach tries to identify the capabilities of regions to emerge in the field of competitiveness. In this context, given that wehave entered the era of uncertainty, in order to maintain the status of survival and continuity, it is necessary to pay attention to the conditions and contexts of competitiveness.Therefore, the present study, withthe aim of explaining the competitivenessof West Azerbaijanprovince,has triedto identify theprimary and key factors affecting the competitivenessof the province, to identify possible competitiveness scenariosin thefuture horizon, nd finally the reasons for such scenarios to decide Appropriate actiontoimprove thecompetitivenessof the province, to lead the officials. For this purpose, 54 indicators in 4 dimensionsthat have been identifiedbasedonlibrary-field studies have beenanalyzedusing micmacsoftware, ScenarioWizardand IPA model.It should be noted that since the present study was basedon experts,the research sampleof 20 people was selected in a targeted manner (snowball).Theresultsof the research show that the competitiveness patternof West Azerbaijan province hasbeenunstable and the probable situation for the future of the province's competitiveness has been compatible scenarios with unfavorable scenarios having a higher realization rate, which is why Conditions have been less attention to high-quality indicators such as(investment security, resilience to infectious diseases,branding, free competitionand meritocracy,paving theway for the development of a creative society), while emphasizing on some indicators such as monopoly of production activities, export-import have  caused cost loss.

With globalization and rapid changes in the world, regions have chosen the field of competitiveness to benefit from the most benefits and the least losses. To overcome this, it is important to identify competitors and regional and trans-regional potentials. For this purpose, the aim of this study is to explain the competitiveness strategies of Kermanshah province. The type of research present has been applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical research in terms of method. The data and information in the two sections were first obtained through library study and then in the field and in the form of a survey of 15 experts in urban and regional planning who have been selected in a targeted manner. Using the Kodas decision-making model, an attempt has been made to determine and examine the competitiveness of Kermanshah province among the provinces of Iran. , And then to identify competitors, to explain regional potentials and regional competitiveness strategies, the hardware software has been used. The results of the Kodas model show that out of 31 provinces in the country, only 15 have been able to compete positively. , So that Tehran, Khuzestan and Bushehr with 3.4, 2.9 and 2.17% are ranked one to three And Kermanshah is ranked 29th with a value of 1.71 And showed the results obtained from the discreet model The most important competitors in the regions of Kermanshah province are the three provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr and Zanjan. Also, comparing the competitiveness of Kermanshah's potentials with that of Khuzestan, Bushehr and Zanjan shows the greatest success and imitation for metal mines, border crossings, customs and border markets, Kermanshah province's infrastructure facilities. And in contrast to macro-policies, social security, sanctions and relations between countries, the most important obstacles to the competitiveness of Kermanshah province have been identified

One of the adjustment policies aimed at reducing inequality and strengthening the existence of regions is to emphasize the flow of competitiveness based on specific legal, political, ecological, social, and economic characteristics among the urban centers. The current research was applied and has been conducted with an analytical method and a quantitative approach. Matlab 2019a, SPSS, and ArcGIS software were used to analyze the data, and the state of dispersion of competitiveness indicators was analyzed using the GWR method and particle swarm optimization (PSO). The results obtained from the investigation of social and cultural, legal, technological, political, ecological and environmental, and economic dimensions in the process of the regression model in determining the distribution of the mentioned indicators in the urban areas of the province showed that the output of the model parameters confirms the intended prediction to a high extent. According to the high coefficient of R2, it can be said that the dimensions of the population's competitiveness have largely focused on the occurrence of the mentioned indicators. Considering the increase in competitiveness along with the increase in the population and the demand for housing in the service area of the top cities - cities with more than 150,000 people (Urmia, Khoi, Bukan, and Mahabad) and the change in the movement of the flow, the competitiveness in the hierarchy of lower urban points is usually accompanied by an increase in periodic fluctuations. Among the 6 dimensions of competitiveness, the quality indicators of transportation infrastructure (PS4) (0.0277), agricultural development index (IL2) (0.0274), migration (S4) (0.0265), and competitive advantages of the tourism sector (F15) (0.0254) are known as the most important factors affecting the growth of urban competitiveness in the West Azerbaijan province. Extended Abstract Introduction In Iran, demographic changes have left a tremendous impact on the social-economic and physical structure of the country. The increase in population and their displacement and migration from deprived areas to prosperous areas has caused regional imbalances. The awareness of the importance of location in achieving competitiveness has caused attention to "territorial competitiveness" such as "globalization" in the scientific and policy fields of spatial development in recent years. The direction of the recent policies of Iran's spatial development at the national level, such as the regional and vision document and the plans of the urban group, is a proof of the influence of this trend. The concentration of facilities, services, and population of the province in the service area of the top 8 cities, and especially the metropolis of Urmia has disrupted the balance and spatial connection of the settlements and the spatial structure of the province. The population distribution in urban classes showed an unbalanced pattern of urban development. In this regard, the current research aimed to evaluate and analyze the influencing factors on improving the competitiveness of the development of urban areas and reducing the intra-regional inequalities in the West Azarbaijan province.MethodologyTo analyze the pattern of competitiveness at the level of regions and cities, the study indicators were first investigated and analyzed according to the statistics and documentary information from 2019 to 2020. After extracting the studied indicators according to the following issues, the indicators were operationalized and quantified according to the research objectives. Then, based on the competitiveness perspective, the strength of resources and capabilities and their strategic fit with intra-regional factors are prioritized solely on the power of these factors. Matlab 2019a, SPSS, and ArcGIS software were used to analyze the data. The dispersion of competitiveness indicators was analyzed using the GWR. Finally, the congestion optimization method was used to standardize the situation.Results and discussionConsidering the significance of the spatial effect of the population index, the increase in competitiveness in the urban areas of the province with the highest functional-spatial correlation showed a motivation to increase the competitive power in the intended city in the following statistical periods. Perhaps the most important reason for the occurrence of this phenomenon is the migration of residents of lower-hierarchy cities simultaneously with the increase of competitive power to higher hierarchies in the next period. Also, the intelligent advantage index *** (F12) (0.0168) along with population growth of the spatial effect of this variable in the dynamic model has a positive and significant influence on the competitive power. Perhaps one of the most important reasons for the considerable impact factor of population growth following the employment demand in Urmia on the competitive level of other cities compared to non-spatial models is the separation of the impact of this variable into two spatial and non-spatial dimensions. Therefore, the regional approach gives special features to competitiveness studies. In these studies, it is assumed that competitive power is regional and endogenous, and the models estimated in each city district are different compared to other regions. Also, in non-dynamic spatial models, it is not possible to calculate direct and indirect effects in the short term, and the reason must be found in the dynamics of dynamic spatial models, including the effects of political economy, especially the quality of business systems (F3) (0.0180) and innovation rate (F4) (0.0168). The estimation results showed that the spatial coefficient of population growth had a positive and significant effect on the competitive power, which indicated the population relationship among cities, and this coefficient is such that as the cities move away from each other, accessibility (slowing down the development force), the intensity of competitive dependence is reduced.ConclusionTo improve and promote urban competitiveness, the most important factors after economic development are geographical and ecological factors and urban population. The second factor in promoting and realizing urban competitiveness is the absence of centralism, justice in the distribution of basic services, and equal access from the perspective of regional management. Centralism, top-down planning, and considering and prioritizing big cities hinder the realization and expansion of intra-regional competitiveness. The existence of equal opportunities is the key to realizing and promoting urban competitiveness, and its absence plays a deterrent role. With a strategic and comparative view, it can be seen that the position of the cities has been on the rise compared to the past. Adopting measures and creating appropriate mechanisms to remove obstacles and strengthen competitiveness indicators should be focused on the urban-regional planning system. Implementation of complementary plans and projects of competitiveness in natural, geographical, historical, physical-spatial, religious, cultural, social, economic, scientific, and sports fields along with the regional development policy and parallel with the directions of aiming at the chain connection of settlements and creating spatial justice is one of the most important solutions to accelerate this flow.Funding There is no funding support.Authors’ Contribution Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the workConflict of Interest Authors declared no conflict of interest.Acknowledgments We are grateful to all the persons for scientific consulting in this paper.

Rural tourism is one of the types of tourism that plays an important role in the development of the rural areas. One of the important issues in rural tourism is the competitiveness of tourism destinations, which has been given much attention to in order to increase the potential of the destinations. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to evaluate the effective factors in the competitiveness of tourism in Dohzar country and provide appropriate solutions for it. The research method is descriptive-analytical and a questionnaire was used to collect data. The statistical population of the study is the residents of Dohezar country who were randomly selected using the Cochran method as a statistical sample by simple sampling of 384 people. SPSS _ PLS software was used to analyze statistical and inferential data. The results show that the coefficient of effectiveness of components such as supporting the growth and development of tourism (3.154), hospitality and tourism reception (3.050), competitive analysis (4.566), development (5.774), location (3,626), and visitor management (4,055) have a greater impact on the growth and development of tourism in Dohezar country and among the variables of competitiveness, only Core resources & Attractors have an impact on the growth and development of tourism. And other variables such as Supporting factors, Destination management, Destination policy, Planning and Development, Amplifying determinants, even with the moderating role of supporting local communities, do not affect the growth and development of tourism.

Globalization and competitiveness have influenced metropolises to consider branding. Branding is a tool for conveying the city’s image and achieving various urban development goals. The world is changing rapidly. Uncertainty is one of its features that should be known. Foresight is necessary to prepare for these uncertainties and develop appropriately and flexibly.

This research is exploratory in terms of its practical purpose and in terms of the nature and method of descriptive-analytical research. The required information was collected through field studies and documents. In the field studies, a researcher-made questionnaire was a data collection tool. The mutual effects analysis method was used in Mic Mac software and the GBN scenario writing method to analyze the data.

The results of the research indicate that among the 64 selected factors, 33 key factors were selected as effective ones, which continuous and effective management, good governance, the city’s role in the national economy, power structure and service delivery methods as effective drivers for branding. The investigation of uncertainties also showed that the increase or decrease of the role of urban associations and informal organizations and community-based groups and social movements, the expansion or non-expansion of Iran's political relations with other countries, and how Iran interacts with the process of globalization.

The increase or decrease of the transnational functions of Qom city are considered as three uncertainties with the highest priority for Qom city. Finally, four scenarios were drawn for the future of the Qom metropolis.

Competitiveness is one of the most important concerns of business and activity in a dynamic and competitive environment. In recent years, competition has been proposed as an economic concept affecting the sustainable development of the tourism and travel industry (Balan et al., 2009). Experience has shown that wherever tourism is developed without a clear plan and strategy, numerous environmental and social problems arise and in the long time, the problems of tourism outweigh the benefits. According to UNESCO, Iran is ranked tenth in the world in terms of tourist attractions, due to its ancient civilization and many historical monuments and cultural-natural attractions. Despite the boom in tourism in recent years, Iran has not yet found its proper place in the international tourism sector, while there are different and diverse areas to compete in tourism and development of tourism in this country (Aliakbari et al., 2015). Jolfa has many valuable historical and cultural attractions and due to its geographical location can be a transit route for thousands of Asian and European tourists. Julfa region has the potential capability to compete with other tourism hubs in the country. So, it is important to identify the factors that lead to increasing the advantages and improving the position of this tourist destination. Undoubtedly, identifying such factors will lead to identifying priorities for tourism development and future planning in the region. One of the methods used in strategic planning is the Meta-SWOT method. Meta-SWOT is an inward-looking strategic planning approach that helps us to compete with competitors in the future by identifying and evaluating our competition with others and by identifying the resources and capabilities of the environment and change our economic borders or common markets with competitors in our favor (Ajza Shokoohi et al., 2018). This study examines and evaluates the regional competitiveness in tourism development planning with land-use planning approach in Jolfa. Aras free zone (Jolfa) is compared with 6 other free zones (Kish, Qeshm, Chabahar, Arvand, Anzali and Makoo) in terms of tourism development and competitiveness. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate and prioritize the factors affecting the competitiveness of destinations in Jolfa.

This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of the nature of the subject. In the present study, the data and information were obtained through documentary and library studies and field methods (questionnaires and interviews). The statistical population for completing the questionnaire and conducting interviews are tourism experts and specialists and the snowball sampling method has been used. The Meta-SWOT model has been used to analyze information and present the tourism development strategies in Jolfa. The study area is Jolfa, which is located in northwestern Iran and adjacent to Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan. In this study, six free trade zones of Kish, Qeshm, Chabahar, Anzali, Arvand and Makoo have been considered as competitors of Aras free zone (Jolfa).

To assess regional competitiveness in tourism development planning, resources and competitors must be evaluated. First, the goals of tourism development should be identified and then and then prioritize these goals. Prioritization has been done in three levels of high, medium and low priority using Delphi method. Finally, 15 goals have been set, which according to experts, 7 goals are high priority, 5 goals are medium priority and 3 goals are low priority. The second step is to identify effective resources and capabilities in assessing regional competitiveness. Since these resources and attractions are not of equal weight and importance, they should be weighted. In order to weight the factors in this research, the Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP) has been used. The most important influential factors are: the potential of the region for tourism, security and the existence of border markets, historical monuments and climatic diversity. In the third stage, the competitive dimensions between the regions are identified and at the end, a competitive map is created. In the fourth step, a resource-based perspective is used to evaluate resources and capabilities. Accordingly, resources and capabilities are evaluated and measured in terms of value, rarity, imitation and irreplaceability (VRIO) in a 5-point range. In the next stage, environmental factors affecting regional competitiveness in tourism development planning of Jolfa are discussed. PETSEL analysis is used for this purpose. In this regard, the out-of-control environmental factors in Jolfa tourism development planning are evaluated according to the opinion of experts with emphasis on four criteria (weight, impact, increase probability and degree of urgency). In the strategic fit assessment step, the impact of resources and facilities on external factors is evaluated with the help of a survey of experts and specialists in the Delphi method and in the form of binary comparisons. The purpose of this step is to identify the extent to which goals are supported by resources and capabilities. The seventh and final step is to draw a strategic plan based on previous inputs and comparisons. According to the results, among the key factors, private sector investment factor, the existence of coherent and integrated planning based on the future, constant support and supervision of officials and the region's potential for tourism, are most in line with tourism development goals.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the regional competitiveness for tourism development planning in Jolfa. In this regard, using the Meta-SWOT technique, first the factors affecting the development of Jolfa tourism were identified. In the next step, rival cities and areas were identified and compared with Jolfa. The results of this study show that the most important factors in the development of tourism in Jolfa are: having a coherent, integrated and future-based planning; Permanent support and supervision of officials in preparing, implementing and ... tourism plans and programs; Existence of border markets in the region; Employing educated and specialized manpower and paying attention to local customs.

Assessing and understanding the competitive concept of global tourism in a country is a key prerequisite for policymakers and a significant challenge for researchers in the decision-making process. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) measures a set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn contributes to a country's development and competitiveness. In the meantime, Islamic countries due to their diverse geographical locations, dispersion and distribution of population in all parts of the world and continents, and the diversity and breadth of climatic conditions, as well as cultural richness of high status and potential in domestic and international tourism. Internationally enjoy. In this regard, this article has been done with the aim of measuring and determining the position of Islamic countries in terms of 14 indicators of travel and tourism competitiveness during the period 2015 to 2019 using the Mabak model and emphasizing Iran. The type of applied research and its method is descriptive-analytical. Shannon quantitative entropy models and the latest MABAC multi-criteria decision making technique (MABAC) were used to analyze the data. The results of this study for the countries studied in 2015 showed that the countries of the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Turkey ranked first to third with Mabak (0.416), (0.373) and (0.333) points, respectively. In 2017, the three countries again ranked first to third with the points of Mabak (0.417), (0.389) and (0.342), respectively, and for 2019, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, respectively. With Mobak score (0.398), (0.375) and (0.374), they were in the first to third ranks. Iran was also in the 15th, 11th and 12th place during the years 2015-2017-2019 with the amount of Mabak (0.132), (0.140) and (0.078) points, respectively. The main obstacle to the tourism industry in most Islamic countries is the security and closure of countries, which has prevented higher growth.

In today's highly competitive tourism environment, destinations have a better chance of becoming competitive in terms of competitiveness and attracting new tourists. Smart tourism destinations are one of the factors in gaining this privileged position. In the field of smart and competitive tourism destinations, direct and comprehensive research has not been done and only the discussion of the effect of smartness on the competitiveness of tourism destinations has been mentioned sparsely in the literature on the subject of smartness and competitiveness. In this study, the city of Yazd has been selected as the subject of this study. This city has been one of the important destinations for domestic and foreign tourists in the country. In addition, several measures have been taken in the field of development of information and communication technologies and efforts to make the city smarter. However, a review of research background shows that no similar research has been conducted in the field of smartness and competitiveness in Yazd. In general, a review of the results of previous research shows that in general, the smartness and competitiveness of this destination is not in a good condition. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to measure, identify and analyze the status of smartness and competitiveness of the tourism destination of Yazd in general and separately for each component.

This research can be divided into three stages in terms of data collection and analysis. In the first stage, archival data analysis method collects and combines previous research and determines the components and indicators for measuring the smartness and competitiveness of urban tourism destinations and the findings are validated using the opinion of tourism experts. In the second stage, using a questionnaire and a survey of Yazd tourism experts, data related to the status of smartness and competitiveness of Yazd tourism destination and the impact of each of the components of smartness and competitiveness with factor analysis technique and Smart PLS software was determined. In the third stage, using one-sample t-test in SPSS software, the status of smartness and competitiveness of Yazd tourism destination in general and separately for each component was measured.

With archival studies in the literature and research background and then with the validation of findings and determining the validity of content, 14 components (including 6 components of smartness and 8 components of competitiveness) and 99 measurement indicators (including 57 smartness indicators and 42 competitive indicators) was confirmed and selected. Then, by designing an online questionnaire, a survey of 96 tourism experts in Yazd was conducted. Based on the results of the analysis of data collected in this stage, the component of residents' lives/tourists' experience with a rate of 0.918 has the highest impact on smartness. The components of tourism environment, residents/tourists, governance/management, access/transportation, and tourism business environment are in the next ranks, respectively. In addition, the destination management component with a rate of 0.915 has the highest level of competitiveness. The components of public infrastructure, demand, reinforcing and supporting factors, tourism services, tourism policy and planning, key resources and attractions, and general destination conditions are ranked next, respectively. Also, the study of smartness and competitiveness of Yazd tourism destination, showed that the competitiveness in general and its 4 components, including the general conditions of the destination, reinforcing and supporting factors, key resources and attractions, and demand in Yazd city is higher than average and suitable. The status of the other 4 components of competitiveness, including tourism policy and planning, destination management, public infrastructure and tourism services in Yazd city is below average and Yazd city in these 4 components is not in a good position. In addition, the status of smartness and its components in Yazd city is lower than average and this city is not in a good position in terms of smartness.

Based on the results of the research, it can be argued that the unfavorable situation and below the average of smartness and its components have a negative impact on the competitiveness of this destination in the four components below the average. Especially due to this important finding that the situation of Yazd city is lower in the components of destination management and public infrastructure, which are in the first and second ranks with the greatest impact on the competitiveness of this destination. In the field of smartness, Yazd tourism destination has not been directly researched so that the results cannot be compared with the results of this research. However, in some researches related to the development of tourism in this destination, the unfavorable situation of Yazd city has been pointed out in some smartness indicators. In terms of competitiveness and its components in Yazd city, the results of previous research have been different. In general, the findings of previous research, despite some differences with the results of this study, is emphasized on the poor condition of this city in components such as public infrastructure, tourism policy and planning, destination management and tourism services, that is in line with the results of this research. According to the research findings, it is necessary to mention that improving the smartness situation of Yazd city, especially by emphasizing the indicators related to the city's livability, long-term sustainability and the use of various new technologies and indicators related to equality and social justice will have a positive impact on improving the competitiveness of Yazd city. Therefore, the attention of managers, policy makers and decision makers of Yazd tourism destination development should be focused on improving the smartness situation and its components and indicators according to the mentioned priorities and in a comprehensive package to be based on it.

Considering the importance of the tourism industry in the growth of the economy and sustainable development of countries and the increasing competition in this industry, this article has been done with the aim of analyzing the competitiveness of tourism in Iran compared to competitors in the 1404 vision document based on 2017 data. This research has been done by descriptive-analytical method. The studied indicators include environmental empowerment, tourism policies, infrastructure and natural and cultural resources that have been analyzed using the Prometheus model. Findings of the article showed that the United Arab Emirates with a net flow of 0.480 is Iran's main tourism competitor. After the UAE, Qatar's neighbor is next with a net flow of 0.374. Iran is also ranked 17th with a net flow of -0.221. Iran's rival countries in the Vision 1404 document are the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Caucasus, and Kazakhstan in Central Asia, respectively. Iran's main competitors in terms of environmental empowerment, tourism and infrastructure policies are the United Arab Emirates and Turkey in terms of natural and cultural resources.

The Confluence of destiny and the path of collectively movement is the reason of a new approach that called regional competitiveness in order to achieve social and economic prosperity. This approach is a very effective tool that can be specified the regional Development Strategies by studying in depth the various regional aspects it is reason of identify the root causes affecting the development of an area and estimating their effectiveness. Accordingly, the present study, with the aim of explaining the Regional Competitiveness of Kermanshah Province has tried to examine the possible situations in the field of competitiveness in the region to make the best program to facilitate the competitiveness of the region. For this purpose 64 indices were collected in 27 sub-components and 5 components and the MicMac software is used to study and evaluate the relationship between them and extract key factors in the field of regional competitiveness and ScenarioWizard software is used to analyze and extract scenarios. It should be noted that the evaluation of indicators in this study has been done by expert experts in the field of economically and regionally and in the form of a snowball sample of 50 people and using the Cochran's formula. For this purpose 64 indices were collected in 27 sub-components and 5 components and the MicMac software is used to study and evaluate the relationship between them and extract key factors in the field of regional competitiveness and ScenarioWizard software is used to analyze and extract scenarios. Research results have shown that of the 64 indices, 9 indices have been identified (government support for knowledge - based businesses, specialized research institutes, foreign Direct Investment, geographic focus of complementary activities, Investment security, Private Sector Investment, Free and fair competition levels, quality of workforce, meritocracy) as Key Factors in Competitiveness in Kermanshah Province. And the likely future situations of competitiveness resulting from key factors it represented 7 strong scenarios, 167 weak scenarios, and 31 probable (adaptive) scenarios. The Possible scenarios have 279 probable situations in three desirable situations with a probability factor of %14, % 32 stagnant and %53 critical. 

Cities can thrive on their economy among other cities with the competition. Understanding and paying attention to current and world-class indicators of competition one of the most important areas of urban creation is competitiveness able to compete with other cities internationally, The most is knowing and paying attention to the competition among the world's most popular and up-to-date indicators. Right now, all over the world competitiveness is a central issue and means of achieving good economic growth and sustainable development. City competitiveness is the potential or capacity of a city to exploit or create competitive advantage that can lead to high and sustainable economic growth of the city compared to other cities. And the issue of regional competitiveness is important because of that generally in terms of economic performance can be seen significant differences between regions of a country. On the other hand many important competitiveness levers are applicable only at the regional level.

Due to the nature of the present study and a vision that is intended for planning (Perspective 1404), the purpose of this study is practical; it is also among qualitative research, in terms of the nature of the data. The research method is based on future study approach. The present research is a part of documentary-survey research, based on the method of data collection and information. Because the scenario approach is in line with the expert opinion and by using the differential Snowballing method, 15 experts in the field of competitiveness have been identified with the aim of editing competitiveness model scenarios of the kermanshah province their views on indicators have been analyzed and key factors are extracted in MICMAC software and these factors are classified into hypotheses and have been re-evaluated by experts and are classified in the wizard scenario to three floors; desirable, static and critical.

In this research, the variables used in the MICMAC software were in dimensions 64 * 64 matrix and matrix filling rate was %54 that shows more than % 54of the factors were influenced by each other. Of the 1891 possible relationships in this matrix; 2205 has zero relation that is to say the factors did not or did not influence each other, 474 was the number one, 962 was the number two and 406 was the number three. That's according to the results of the MICMAC software that of the 64 indices, 9 indices have been identified as Key Factors in Competitiveness in Kermanshah Province. The key factors are classified under the hypothesis of desirable, static and critical spectra to elucidate possible situations of competitiveness of Kermanshah province and extracted in the Scenario Wizards by measuring the effect from 3 to -3 by experts; 7 strong scenarios, 167 weak scenarios, and 31 probable scenarios. The Possible scenarios have 279 probable situations in three desirable situations with a probability factor of %14, % 32 stagnant and %53 critical.

The results of the expert evaluation were most likely for critical situations with the features (regardless of the qualifications of the institutions, increasing the quantity of labor rather than quality, functional monopoly without any competitors, increasing government influence and performance in various dimensions, The prevalence of Border provinces for investment, exit Foreign Institution from Iran and the fear of investing in friendly and partner countries, the closure of knowledge-based businesses due to lack of government support, Performing purely research functions without functional aspects). It is therefore necessary to consider the following three conditions to prevent this scenario from happening and to get into the desirable situation. These should be considered for reduce economic activity; (governmental Bank financial support for businesses, especially knowledge based, near collaboration between industry and academia). These should be considered for investment security; (Private Sector Investment, foreign investment, minimizing the government, considering the potential of the border region more than possible risks ). These should be considered for meritocracy ;( Creating competitiveness of domestic products with foreign samples and to prevent the monopoly of the market in the hands of some, pay attention to the quality and efficiency of the workforce, pay attention to the criterion rather than the relationship in the jurisdiction of the institutions)

Iran is one of the countries that have various capabilities for tourism development with its various tourist attractions. However, the existence of these attractions alone has not been able to bring success for Iran's tourism and increase the competitiveness of Iran's tourism industry compared to other tourist destinations. Since the development of a country's tourism competitiveness depends on the competitiveness of its domestic destinations, it is necessary to primarily develop the competitiveness of Iran's domestic tourism destinations. In this direction, there are various challenges that Iran cities are facing and they must be identified. The purpose of this study is to identify challenges facing Iran cities in the field of tourism competitiveness and provide integrated solutions to strengthen their competitiveness. First, the initial conceptual model of competitiveness of Iran touristic cities was developed by reviewing the research literature. Then, using a questionnaire approved by experts, the conceptual model of the research was tested with the opinions of experienced tour guides and a path analysis method based on PLS. Research findings including demographic data, descriptive statistics of variables and inferential findings were analyzed. Solutions and suggestions for each of factors that have challenged the competitiveness of Iran touristic cities were presented.

Evidence suggests that inequalities within regions are the result of top-down development programs and the policy-making process, with spatial consequences of increasing centralization in major and limited urban centers. Accordingly, one of the adjustment policies aimed at reducing inequality and strengthening the existence of cities is to emphasize the flow of competitiveness based on specific legal, political, ecological, social and economic characteristics between urban centers. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors affecting the competitiveness of urban centers in West Azerbaijan province. A qualitative-quantitative approach has been used to do this article. In the first part, drivers are identified by experts in the field (Delphi) by weighting software, extraction weights and dimensions, and then by Meta-SWOT software, 15 effective factors. The competitiveness of urban development in the time horizon of 1410 was determined and again provided to experts by Delphi method. The results show the fact that the metropolis of Urmia, with its first position of competitiveness, is still the center of space currents in the province. Meanwhile, public investment strategies, the attention of policy makers, planners and officials, the interest of the private sector in investing in the province and the lack of large-scale development infrastructure are the most important factors determining the competitiveness of urban development. In the final part, Micmac software was used by ranking and extracting the impact matrix and believable situations in the competitiveness of urban development of the province were identified with a specific futuristic approach and proposed strategies.

Tourism has undergone fundamental and extensive changes in the last three decades and in the post-revolutionary environment of information and communication technologies, trade liberalization and globalization. This situation, especially in the last decade, has attracted the attention of destination managers and policymakers to the opportunities created by these vast changes in the tourist destinations, so that they can take an innovative and smart approach to create and gain a competitive advantage in tourism and increase the competitiveness of destinations. A review of research background shows that no similar research has been done on the effect of the smartness on the competitiveness of Yazd. Therefore, the city of Yazd has been selected as the subject of this study to investigate how the impact of the smartness on the competitiveness of this urban tourism destination, considering the current situation of this destination in the field of smartness and competitiveness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of smartness on the competitiveness of the tourist destination of Yazd.

This research in terms of its’ goal is developmental; in terms of the nature and method of research is descriptive-analytical; in terms of time horizon, it is cross-sectional; and in terms of data collection and analysis can be divided into two stages. In the first stage, using the methods of collecting and analyzing archival data, components and indicators of smartness and competitiveness of urban tourism destinations and the basic conceptual model of the research that shows the relationships between variables and their components are designated. In the second stage, after validating the components and indicators or items for measuring smartness and competitiveness, an online questionnaire has been designed to collect data. Structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, which is one of the multivariate modeling methods, has been used to analyze the data.

In the first phase, with the method of analyzing archival data, the previous researches were collected and combined, the components and indicators of smartness and competitiveness of tourist destinations measurement were determined, and the findings were validated using the opinion of tourism experts. Based on the results of validating the findings and determining the validity of the content, out of 106 initial indicators, 99 assessment indicators including 57 smartness indicators and 42 competitiveness indicators of urban tourism destinations were approved and selected. In addition, based on the opinion and suggestion of tourism experts, the necessary corrections were made in the field of rewriting or simplifying some of the approved indicators. In the second phase, using the structural equation modeling method with partial least squares approach, Smart PLS software and a questionnaire tool, the effect of smartness on the competitiveness of Yazd tourist destination was measured based on the opinion of experts. The PLS method for evaluating the measurement models of structural equation models covers three parts: 1. Section related to measurement models, 2. Structural part, and 3. General part of the model. Considering the results of reliability, convergent validity and divergent validity, the measurement model has a good fit. The results of second section of the implementation of PLS method show that the amount of variability of the endogenous structural indexes of the structural model (competitiveness) of the exogenous structure of the model (smartness) is appropriate. GOF fit goodness criterion has been used to evaluate the overall model fit. According to the results, the value of the goodness-of-fit index is 0.740 (more than 0.36), so the overall model has a strong fit.

No similar research has been done on the effect of the smartness on the competitiveness of Yazd. However, in some researches related to the development of tourism in this destination, the status of some indicators of smartness and competitiveness has been mentioned. However, more direct and indirect research has been done on the competitiveness of Yazd tourist destinations. In general, a review of the results of previous research shows that the smartness and the competitiveness of this destination is not appropriate. Therefore, it can be claimed that the unsatisfactory state of the smartness of the tourist destination of Yazd in the main components and indicators has a negative impact on its competitiveness and has reduced its competitiveness compared to the competitors. The results showed that the conceptual model of the research has an acceptable fit and the smartness affects the competitiveness of Yazd tourist destination. The confirmation of the effect of smartness on competitiveness and determining the components of this effect in a comprehensive and systematic framework is the distinguishing point of the present study compared to previous studies that have examined each aspect of smartness and competitiveness.