Analysis of the Social and Cultural Capital Roles in the Process of Tourism Development in the Tabriz Old Bazaar

The tourism industry, due to its nature, has many connections with the society and cultures of the origin and destination of tourism, and the management of these connections will play an essential role in the development of this industry. Social and cultural capitals are two critical concepts in this field, and today they play a fundamental role in the sustainable development of countries. This research attempts to investigate the role and position of these two types of capital in the “World Heritage” complex of the historical Bazaar of Tabriz in line with the development of the tourism industry. In this regard, the concepts of social and cultural capital are explained. After explaining the various functions of the old Bazaar complex, the structure and connections of their components are analyzed, and a theoretical-practical model is presented. Then, to understand the status of these two types of capital and their components in the old Bazaar complex, the primary data collected through interviews with the Bazaar residents were analyzed in the SPSS software. Based on the results, the component of trust in governmental institutions is at a low level among the Bazaars; Also, there are some conservatism attitudes towards transformations and cultural issues; by eliminating these issues through the use of social capital, it is possible to use the vast potential hidden in the Tabriz old Bazaar for the sustainable development of tourism.