Evaluation of effective components in the design of heritage tourism routes (Case study: historical, cultural and tourism axis of Julfa)

Today, tourism is recognized as one of the main and most important sources of income in many. Since tourism is characterized by "movement", consideration of tourist’s movements and the routes they choose during their visits of urban attractions is of vital importance. The historical area and cultural heritage of Isfahan are the most important factors that could contribute to the development of tourism in this city. Therefore, in the present study attempts are made to promote heritage tourism in order to detect and prioritize effective qualities in designing heritage tourism routes. The present study falls within the category of analytical studies in terms of procedure (selected by the researcher) and applied studies in terms of objective. Library studies have been used in expressing the theoretical foundations of the subject and presenting the research network model, interviews and questionnaires have been used to collect data according to the nature of the research. Finally, in order to prioritize and evaluate the presented components, the Network Analysis Process (ANP) method was used. The results indicate that the components of attention and emphasis on heritage attractions as well as increasing safety and security, consideration of biological dimensions, permeability and accessibility, are the most effective components in the design of the Julfa axis with a heritage tourism approach and after that, legibility and wayfinding, observance of human scale, visual attractiveness of the route, diversity, flexibility and sense of place should be considered in the design of these routes, and paying attention to these factors and increasing their quality has a great impact on promoting the tourism industry in this area.