Evaluation of the Vital Driving Forces of Creative Tourism using Improving Components of Urban Competitiveness (Case Study: Tabriz city)

Intense competition between cities as tourist destinations has made it necessary for cities to find solutions to differentiate themselves from other cities and destinations. Therefore, creativity is a necessary element in the social, economic and cultural development of cities. Creativity is necessary to increase the commercial capacity of cities. Tourism takes different forms over time, according to people and cultures, and it needs to be organized in line with new ideas in the near future. Creative tourism is the last part of tourism development. It is possible to develop creative tourism in Iran, especially in big cities like Tabriz, due to such issues as having historical, cultural, artistic, natural and religious attractions. Statistics show that the amount of international tourist arrivals and the quality of Iran's tourism industry and, accordingly, the city of Tabriz are not proportional to its tourist attractions; therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to tourism as one of the main policies of the urban development of Tabriz. Applying creative tourism dimensions in all urban areas can be a very good lever to improve the urban competitiveness of this city in regional, national and even global dimensions. The main goal of this study was to study, accurately recognize and scientifically examine the components and indicators of creative tourism according to the conditions of Tabriz city and evaluate the impact of these components and indicators on the urban competitiveness of this city. The tools and methods to achieve this goal were questionnaires and interviews with specialists in Tabriz tourism. The results showed that among the 44 indicators identified using the structural analysis method, 13 indicators were selected as vital drivers, among which the social participation index with a total impact score of 1410 is the most effective index and strategic insight events with a score of 710 are the 13th vital driver.