Presenting the Creative Tourism Development Model in Historical Contexts with the Approach of Start-Up Businesses in Iran

Introduction :

Creative tourism is a relatively new research field that has focused most attention on creative tourism activities in big cities [5]. One of the earliest definitions of creative tourism, by Richards and Raymond (2000), defined it as tourism that offers visitors the opportunity to develop their creative potential through active participation in the courses and learning experiences that characterize the vacation destination. [7,6]. Therefore, UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network has adopted this definition for creative tourism: “Creative tourism is a travel that is directed towards a committed and authentic experience, with participatory learning in the art, heritage, or particularity of a place, and that communicates with the people who inhabit it, in that place together with creating a living culture” [6]. Creative tourism focuses on image, identity, lifestyle, space, narratives, and media [8,9]. In the last two decades, creative tourism has evolved as a growing field involving a wide range of concepts and practices in different locations around the world. However, from the very beginning, creative tourism has sought to contribute to sustainable development and increase the well-being of society [6], since the transfer and development of knowledge and creative skills in the course of joint and co-creative activities, includes a more active role for both tourists and hosts. Creative tourists not only seek to expand their knowledge about the places they visit but also their creative skills [6]. By visiting different destinations, touristsrevive places, restore buildings, strengthen businesses, and develop different segments of the destination market [10]. Tourism development in the historical and old contexts of cities has been proposed as one of the urban development strategies [11]. The poles of development within the historical context as a tool to be present in the field of tourism industries that directly and indirectly affect the region and the field of competition and the possibility of presence at international levels with an emphasis on historical foundations and different strategies in line with the development of the system, provides integrated urban regeneration, acquires a new identity and improves the image of the city [11]. Tourism has always been portrayed as a sector that can create opportunities and economic benefits for indigenous people [12]. On the one hand, the rapid destruction of valuable tissues, the application of personal preferences in the process of regeneration, and the determination of speculative goals regarding the historical cores of cities the one hand, and the necessity of preserving and recreating historical and spatial layers on the other hand [11], the importance of developing new businesses In the tourism sector, it has been noticed more than before [14]. Since, start-up business investments face many challenges, ranging from the availability of cheaper and sufficient financial resources to successful competition with competitors, to grow and become profitable, startups must extensively seek strategies that create and maintain competitive advantage [15]. Therefore, creative tourism has emerged as an important place in tourism businesses in recent years, with an increasing number of destinations and internet platforms that offer creative experiences to visitors [13]. The relationship between tourism and creativity has always been encouraged in this industry by searching for alternative models of tourism development and creative economy development [16]. Adding creativity to tourism has become a common diversification strategy, especially in the field of cultural tourism [19]. However, there is growing criticism of predominantly top-down models of creative development, such as Richard Florida’s concept of the “creative class” [19,20]. Finally, some studies map the growth and development of creative tourism models, although their coverage is partial [5, 21]. Richards (2017) also identified several different models of creative tourism development around the world [22]. Duxbury, Carvalho, Vinager de Castro, Bacas, and Silva (2018) provided a useful overview of the different models of creative tourism emerging from the CREATOUR project in Portugal [23]. Besides, in internal research, we can refer to the conceptual model of creative tourism by Baghetnegar (2016), who presented only a conceptual model for this industry, regardless of its type and means. However, no model has been provided for the development of creative tourism in historical contexts, especially in start-up businesses. Thus, in this research, we have tried to pay special attention to the creative tourism industry so that a step can be taken in the direction of the development of this industry, especially in historical contexts that have great potential for creative development. Therefore, this research aims to present a model of creative tourism development in historical contexts with the approach of start-up businesses.

Methods and Materials:

The current research is a qualitative study. This research is also a practical development in terms of its goal. The strategy used in this research is the foundational data conceptualization theory. Using the method of Strauss and Corbin (1990), the design of a creative tourism development model in historical contexts with the approach of start-up businesses has been discussed. The statistical population includes experts in start-up companies located in science and technology parks who have experience in cultural tourism and historical contexts with creative ideas. Therefore, after interviewing 13 people, the theoretical saturation point was reached, but to strengthen the reliability of the research, the interview continued until the 15th person and then stopped. Therefore, 15 interviews were analyzed. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using Atlas T version 7 software. Coding in this section is done using the three-step coding method (open coding, axial coding, and selective coding). The validity of coding results was checked by reviewing the interview texts and two methods of qualitative research validation (including review by two coders and review of information from peers) provided by Creswell and Miller (2000). Thus, in the matching method by two coders, two selection interviews and the agreement between the two coders in the codings were checked, and the agreement between the two coders was equal to 83%. Considering that the reliability rate is higher than 60%, the reliability of coding is confirmed. In the second method, the results of the model and coding were reviewed and modified by two professors of the tourism industry as collaborators to ensure the accuracy of the indicators, and finally, the reliability score of the indicators was equal to 76%. According to Chin (1998), this value is very desirable.

The existence of start-up businesses in this century is a necessity for the survival of the national development of any society. The importance of these businesses can be said to be much more than the oil resources of a country. On the other hand, these businesses can have a special presence in the tourism sector, where tourism itself has become very important in development. Tourism, which today has a new section called creative tourism, can attract many tourists in historical contexts, especially with the historical record of our vast country, Iran. Therefore, in this research, the development model of creative tourism in historical contexts with the approach of new businesses has been presented. The results of the previous sections identified the different components of this model, which will be discussed and concluded in this section along with the

The model was obtained using the systematic Strauss and Corbin method in six sections, antecedents (creative tourism antecedents of historical monuments), the main category (tourism development in historical contexts), contextual factors (laws and regulations infrastructure, research and development, art and culture infrastructures, ICT infrastructures, knowledge infrastructures), intervening factors (pathogenic crises, political interventions, economic crises, political crises, climate change), strategies (propaganda and internal awareness, reform global view of the country, synergy in marketing, restoration of historical buildings, advertising and awareness of tourists), and consequences (social consequences, economic consequences, political consequences) were categorized. Antecedents are divided into two categories: creative tourism antecedents of historical monuments and new business antecedents. Some factors have shaped the thinking of creative tourism development in the historical context of these two categories. These factors are the strengths of the tourism sector, which provide the potential to participate in creative tourism in this field. For example, the economic benefit that creative tourism can bring is one of the strong motivations to move in that direction. On the other hand, the existence of a strong cultural heritage is another field that can create the best combination with the power of creative tourism. Moreover, the power of innovation that exists within any creative industry attracts people with different ideas. In the section on antecedents of new businesses, it is also possible to mention the competitive price advantage compared to abroad. Currency fluctuations in recent years have made domestic expenses more affordable for tourists than they thought. This has increased word-of-mouth marketing by foreign tourists. On the other hand, the repair of historical structures is less expensive than outside of Iran, which can be used to develop the tourism sector in historical structures by attracting foreign tourists. On the other hand, the existence of cultural contexts in historical contexts, lower costs for tourists and the presence of business motivation, and a low percentage of risk in this industry have brought a competitive advantage to the country.

In the discussion of background factors, infrastructure has always been and is discussed. Without infrastructure, the development of any industry will be difficult or impossible. In the discussion of tourism in the historical context, the existence of information and communication technology infrastructures, social infrastructures, laws, and regulations that are more difficult to help and bring restrictions for tourists, research, and development can be pointed out. In addition to all these factors, the presence of intervention factors and their effects are sometimes unpredictable and out of control. Among these factors, we can mention the recent crisis of Covid-19 or the crisis of economic sanctions and the crisis of inflationary stagnation, to which the climate change crisis has recently been added. Climate changes have caused unusual rainfalls in different parts and out of season, which have intensified the process of destruction of historical structures with different intensities. Finally, it can be said that for the growth and development of tourism in the historical context, strategies can be developed according to the mentioned factors. Among these strategies, we can mention synergy in re-evaluation, reforming the global view of the country, internal advertising, and awareness, reviving the historical contexts of advertising, and informing foreign tourists. In the end, it can be said that these strategies will have consequences that are categorized into three parts: social, economic, and political consequences. Social consequences can also occur following economic consequences. With the increase in the number of foreign tourists, the growth of businesses will continue in each region, and the education and improvement of the knowledge level of the people in the society will occur following the increase in the income level. Political consequences can also affect political decisions at the national level and international relations.