Identifying and Prioritizing Creative Tourism Indicators: A Case Study of Hawraman, Kurdistan Province, Iran

The tourism industry has now flourished significantly around the world, providing an opportunity for many countries to settle their issues, particularly economic problems, and above all boost up one's situation through its exploitation. In view of the competitiveness of the tourism industry, the key to success in meeting tourist expectations is to develop new products and services; thus, it is of utmost importance to reflect on creative tourism indicators, and plan for this purpose. In this sense, utilizing the power of deprived areas, mostly villages, has been one of the major approaches adopted by Iran's government for eliminating deprivation, generating the drivers of development, and fulfilling the goals of the 20-Year Vision Plan in tourism over the years. From this perspective, Hawraman in Kurdistan Province has been one of the tourism targets. This historical region, famous for its special culture, customs, and traditions, was inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its 44th meeting as the 26th tangible cultural heritage of Iran. At present, the development policies applied for tourism have given rise to numerous environmental and sociocultural challenges in this region. In addition, the sluggish economy has resulted in indiscriminate cultivation, damaging its pristine nature, including the mountain slopes and hills. Even though upstream law and regulations regarding the preservation of natural resources have been implemented, it seems that the economic problems have led to a kind of disregard and unrestrained natural resource extraction. Altogether, the local architecture texture and structure as well as the mountainous environment, pristine nature, historical and cultural landscapes, and other factors, such as customs and the local culture along with the historical background in Hawraman can set the stage for creative tourism. However, transforming the attractions in this region into creative tourism products requires much more attention and expert initiatives. In this context, characterizing creative tourism indicators in Hawraman can be among the essential measures. Against this background, the present study aimed to identify and prioritize the indicators associated with the development of creative tourism in Hawraman, and then raise some solutions and suggestions for this purpose. Considering the significant growth and development of creative tourism and the potentials of the historical and cultural landscapes in Hawraman, the study results can thus lay the foundations for decision-making in this region.
To meet the objectives of this applied study, a descriptive-analytical research design was used. In keeping with the research subject and the indicators investigated here, documentary methods and field studies, including interviews and questionnaires, were further employed to collect the data. The sample size was then determined, based on the maximum-possible-number of samples technique. Therefore, 56 tourism experts in the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicraft Organization of Kurdistan Province and Hawraman World Heritage site together with professors were selected by random sampling, and provided with the necessary information to complete the questionnaires in the process of their distribution. The questionnaire items were also developed based on a five-point Likert-type scale. As well, Cronbach's alpha was examined to measure the reliability of the research instrument by 0.865. To check the normality of the data, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was utilized, and the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the research hypotheses. Then, the Friedman test in the SPSS Statistics V22.0 was used to prioritize the indicators.
According to the study results, Hawraman has the potentials for development of tourism with special interests, including creative tourism. In this respect, the indicators of experience and interaction, local heritage, awareness-raising and information-giving, authenticity, economic support for creative tourism, service quality, and public participation are much more operational in the development of creative tourism in this region. Accordingly, the possibility of being subjected to varied lifestyles by the hosts for the tourists can inspire creative interaction and experience, thereby encouraging regional tourism. The natural attractions as the native heritage of Hawraman also contribute to the development of creative tourism. Moreover, awareness-raising and information-giving are among other indicators of creative tourism in this region. The pristine landscapes, the architectural identity of the region, as well as its stepped architectural and physical structure can thus have a profound impact on the authenticity of the region as the next indicator. In this line, support for creative tourism is one of the other significant indicators. Therefore, the relevance of the activities to the local culture in this region can be among the indicators of creative tourism and economic growth. Besides, the establishment of handicrafts training centers can help improve the economic status of the locals, since it teaches local arts and brings income for the residents. In terms of service quality, roads and transportation are also among the main indicators. Some other factors such as the cleanliness of the surrounding environment and preserving the nature, enhancing the infrastructure, and providing accommodation services, such as hotels, guesthouses, and ecotourism residences, and public transportation are effective in augmenting the quality of tourism services and facilities for the development of creative tourism in this context. In conclusion, public participation is one of the other indicators of creative tourism development in Hawraman, which needs further consideration.