نشریه برنامه ریزی و توسعه گردشگری
پیاپی 49 (تابستان 1403)

Family tourism has a contradictory concept and nature. The main goal of the current study is to explain the concept of family tourism by understanding its contradictions and binary oppositions, thereby establishing the basic foundation for further research in this field.

Design/methodology/approach: 

The present study is descriptive-exploratory in terms of purpose and qualitative in nature, based on a content review of research projects. The statistical population was the scientific research conducted in the field of "conceptual knowledge of family tourism". Therefore, the collection of data and information was archival. The content review of the background and existing documents was based on extracting the binary oppositions of family tourism components.

An overview of the binary oppositions proposed for family tourism (type-approach; group dynamics- individuality; Own time-family time; public experiences and space-private experiences and space; wife-husband; parents-children; parents-adult children; Stress and tension-memorable memories; routine  life-novelty; Unusual environment-intimacy of home; entertainment-education) shows that each aspect is not a threat for removing the other aspect; in general, these two are related to each other, and perhaps it is impossible to separate them from each other.

In examining the structuralism and post-structuralism positions on the binary oppositions of family tourism, the post-structuralism position prevails. From the post-structuralism point of view, the conflict of binary oppositions in family tourism is affected by the different social conditions of the host and guest society, and it is possible to interpret the functioning of oppositions differently in each context and discourse. Therefore, the combination of binary oppositions of family tourism allows for more interaction.

Originality/value:

 The growing trend of theoretical and empirical literature on family tourism is attracting attention, and research is being conducted to conceptualize and understand the process and results of family tourism. It should be kept in mind that understanding the process and results of family tourism requires explaining and understanding the concept of family tourism. The current research is the first step towards explaining and understanding the concept of family tourism.

The main goal of the research is to analyze the paradigm model of the development of the medical tourism industry in I.R.I., adopting a new approach to health communication.

Design/methodology/approach: 

This research is a qualitative study based on the data-based theory method. The statistical population under study included 18 experts, including managers of Tehran’s health tourism and health communication centers. The data collection tool consisted of deep and semi-structured interviews with the members of the mentioned community to answer the research questions. Data analysis, with a systematic approach, was the foundation of data theory. This research used the three-step process of open, central, and selective coding to analyze the data obtained from the interviews.

According to this approach, in the open coding stage, the phrases extracted from the interviews were summarized in 894 open codes, 87 central codes, and 20 selective codes. The research was validated using the four criteria of credibility, transferability, reliability, and verifiability.

The structures identified in the paradigm model include value-based health tourism, security, cost, and facilities as causal conditions; the use of social networks, expert human capital, and intervening conditions in communications; background conditions of psychological, behavioral, and demographic factors; and the strategies that include technology, transportation, content marketing, and marketing infrastructure as well as organizational results, tourists' results, host society's results as outcomes. The central category also includes health-based tourism, nature therapy tourism, and medical tourism.Originality/value: To expand the theory of the development of the medical tourism industry of I.R.I., a model was presented, taking a new approach to health communication of the general model. The above-mentioned model is considered the innovation of this research.

Utilizing the capacity of rural-urban linkages is effective in forming a tourism network; however, the formation of a tourism network has faced numerous challenges due to ignoring the capacity of rural-urban linkages. Hence, identifying the key drivers influencing rural-urban linkages’ capacity helps reduce these challenges.

Design/methodology/approach: 

The current applied research was conducted from April to December 2023 with a future research approach for the Alborz and Tehran region. The collected data were analyzed through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews by 34 experts using the qualitative and Delphi techniques and Micmac software.

The findings revealed that geographical advantages and environmental capabilities, such as the rural and urban establishment in a homogeneous area, suitable climate and landscape for tourism activities, small towns within the rural centers of tourism, continuous rural-urban local knowledge flow, rural-urban socioeconomic institutions, and cooperation of the urban organization with local tourism suppliers were identified as variables influencing the size of spatial and sectoral flows.

The results also revealed that the key drivers affected the spatial and sectoral flows through geographical advantages and environmental capabilities. Consequently, improving the size of spatial and sectoral flows affects the capacity of rural-urban linkages in the direction of the formation of the tourism network.Originality/value: Identifying and utilizing environmental capacities to improve the size of spatial flow and strengthen rural-urban linkages in forming a tourism network can be mentioned as the originality of the current research.

Developing sustainable nature tourism tours in natural ecosystems requires planning ‎with a view to the future and minimal damage to the region and its biodiversity. Therefore, the ‎current study aimed to present scenarios for developing ‎sustainable nature tourism tours with a future research approach in the mangrove forests of Iran. ‎

Design/methodology/approach:

 This study is applied in terms of purpose and analytical-exploratory in nature and ‎method. Information was collected based on theoretical studies and existing records. Data ‎analysis was also conducted through the methods of structural analysis and scenario planning in ‎MicMac and Scenario Wizard software. ‎

According to the results, 41 indicators play a key role in sustainable nature tourism tours. Among the indicators, maintaining the quality of the environment has the most ‎influence, and the index of the employee activity record is the most effective. The total ‎acceptable scenarios include 88 situations, of which 56% are favorable, 32% are static, and 12% have a critical situation. ‎

The analysis of the scenarios showed that the first group provides the ideal conditions for ‎the development of sustainable nature tourism tours in the mangrove forests of Iran, and the ‎scenarios of this group indicate a positive and developing situation for sustainable nature ‎tourism tours in this region.

‎Originality/value: 

Developing sustainable nature tourism tours requires the performance of nature tourists ‎and nature tourist tours in natural ecosystems that cause the least damage to the region and ‎valuable biological reserves. The basis of developing future research scenarios for the ‎development of sustainable nature tourism tours in the mangrove forests of Iran is based on ‎maintaining the quality of the environment and optimal use of resources by increasing ‎education and improving the culture of nature tourism among nature tourists and the local ‎community.‎

In recent years, tourism has received remarkable attention at the level of neighborhoods and local communities. However, the share of modern neighborhoods using this capacity has not been great due to the traditionally common and often historical attractions. The purpose of this research is to investigate the possibility of implementing the idea of neighborhood tourism in a contemporary neighborhood, Ekbatan, without having the massive common elements of tourism.

Design/methodology/approach: 

This research is qualitative and data was collected through 19 in-depth interviews with residents, local informants, and field observations. The thematic method was used for data analysis to reach a neighborhood tourism model.

The findings show that Ekbatan Town has the capacity to host educated tourists with special interests in social, architectural, and urban planning, as well as those interested in social narratives and historical stories; therefore, it can be chosen as a modern destination for neighborhood tourism. This is subject to consideration of the role of key actors/agents.

The research results indicate that neighborhood tourism can be implemented if the residents’ views and especially their satisfaction are considered along with the neighborhood’s capacities.

Originality/value: 

This research has provided a model of making a modern tourist-friendly neighborhood, in which any successful neighborhood tourism policy and planning should be done within the framework of the neighborhood-participatory tourism approach as active hosts and with the least intervention of public and governmental institutions.

Cultural and social development and valuable activities in a society will not be possible without security. In many areas, there may be police management, but it does not make people feel safe. The effect of the cultural and social functions of the police in the police management of coastal areas, the effective factors for tourists' well-being, and the determination of the effect of these factors on the sense of security are the problems of the present research, which aims to determine the impact of the cultural and social functions of the police in the police management and the security of tourists in the coastal areas of Mazandaran province.

Design/methodology/approach:

 In terms of its nature, the current research is among descriptive and non-experimental field and survey research, and its statistical sample consisted of 400 police commanders and managers of the province. Using fuzzy analysis and Excel software, the researcher investigated the cultural and social indicators of police that are effective in security, and then, using SPSS software, the research hypotheses were tested.

The findings of the hypothesis test show that the police operational capability index, the police professional behavior index, and the police social activities index are effective for tourists in the coastal areas of the province.

The results show that police management and security in coastal areas are not only through the operational capability of the police, but also the professional behavior and social activities of the police are effective in creating security.

Originality/value: 

This research has presented a model in line with the implementation of police management strategies and increasing the sense of security in the beaches and paying attention to the supervision and demands of the natives and tourists, in which the government interventions are minimal.

This research was conducted to assess the feasibility of developing cultural tourism in the traditional context of Amol City.

Design/methodology/approach:

 Documentary studies in this research included a review of all the studies done in the region. The research data were also created and collected through the researcher's questionnaire. According to Cochran's formula, the sample size was estimated to be 400 people, and the researcher collected 300 complete questionnaires. SPSS software was used to analyze the questionnaire data and hypotheses were tested with Spearman and t-test.

The data analysis results indicate a significant relationship between the capacity of historical-cultural buildings in the old context, management performance, urban infrastructure, and the development of cultural tourism in Amol. Also, the evaluation of each of the independent and dependent variables of the research shows that tourists are satisfied with the capacity of historical monuments and support them. Still, they are dissatisfied with Amol City’s management performance and tourism infrastructure.

In this regard, using promotional facilities to introduce the image of historical-cultural tourism in Amol City to attract the material and spiritual support of the people and to involve them in preserving and revitalizing historical monuments, as well as restoring and revitalizing historical monuments, especially Qajar houses, and taking care the museums of Amol can be influential in the development of cultural tourism in Amol.

Originality/value: 

The historical context of Amol City has provided suitable conditions for paying attention to historical-cultural tourism. Therefore, the prosperity of historical-cultural tourism depends on the attention and treatment of the historical contexts of Amol City. In the current research, the important capacities of the development of historical-cultural tourism in Amol City, including historical buildings, management performance, tourism infrastructure, and the level of loyalty and support of tourists for heritage tourism, were analyzed.

One important topic in the field of Ecolodge is the study of the business ecosystem of these accommodations. These ecosystems express the structure of the business system, influencing factors, relationships between actors, and the power and position of each factor in the business ecosystem of Ecolodge. The current research aims to evaluate the atmosphere governing the ecotourism business ecosystem based on the views of the owners and local-regional Ecolodge managers.

Design/methodology/approach: 

The current research is descriptive as it examines and evaluates the business environment of Ecolodge in Ramsar city. From the audience’s point of view, it is practical because it leads to awareness of the business environment of Eco-lodges in Ramsar for the owners, local managers, future investors, and researchers in this field. This study is also cross-sectional as the information needed for the research was collected "at" a point in time (Spring 1402). The data collection method was quantitative, and a questionnaire was used to collect the data. The statistical population included Eco-lodge’s "owners" and "local managers" related to the research subject in Ramsar city.

The findings show that from the point of view of the owners of Ecolodge, the status of Ecolodge business ecosystem components in Ramsar city based on the average value in order from first to last includes infrastructure, market, socio-cultural, business, human capital support, education, innovation, and finance. Also, the ranking of the status of business ecosystem components of Ecolodge in Ramsar city is based on the average value from the point of view of local and regional Ecolodge managers, including business, market, infrastructure, socio-cultural, support, capital human, financial, and educational innovation.

The business ecosystem of Ecolodge in Ramsar city, from the owners’ and local-regional managers’ point of view, is "so-so". The components of "finance" and "education and innovation" were evaluated as the weakest components, and the component of "infrastructure" was the most acceptable component of the ecosystem.

Originality/value:

 The framework of the business ecosystem model of Ecolodge should be different from the general framework, and the components related to sustainable development should play a central role in it. This research, using a field study, has tried to investigate the business ecosystem of Ecolodge, using the perspective of stakeholders (owners of Ecolodge and local-regional managers) who influence the transformation and development of this business in Ramsar city.