Determining the appropriate areas for health tourism infrastructure in the outskirts of Metropolises (A Case Study of Mashhad Metropolis)

This study has been carried out in Mashhad and in its surroundings. To this end, four main options in the north, east, west and south of the city were considered, each of which presented its capabilities, bottlenecks, and barriers. As a result, a thorough and scholarly assessment of these conditions was very necessary. To achieve the goal, a descriptive and analytical research method has been used. The data required for this review was obtained using existing documents and designs as well as surveys based on the stated and revealed capabilities. In the survey section, a sample of 290 people including the incoming tourists (80 people), local authorities (50) and residents of Mashhad (160 people) was selected and the data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability had been verified. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and TOPSIS model. The findings showed that Molkabad with a mean of 3.24 had the best conditions, while Torghabe-Shandiz with a mean of 3.14, Chenaran with a mean of 3.03 and Sarakhs with a mean of 2.68 were respectively ranked second to fourth.