نشریه گردشگری شهری
سال یازدهم شماره 2 (تابستان 1403)

Apart from the ancient physical artifacts, one of the main attractions of the historical-cultural heritage of tourist destinations is the native-local industries, which have a decisive effect on the prosperity of tourism. Handicrafts of ethnic groups in tourism destinations achieve two major goals; first, introducing the culture of the destination to the guest community, and second, income generation and economic development of the local community. Therefore, today, the production of handicrafts is considered one of the special activities in the field of tourism. Tourism is the closest industry to handicrafts, which can play a vital role in creating and expanding the handicrafts market. This research aims to investigate the effect of the expansion of activities based on local handicrafts copperware in Zanjan, Tohid Street (Mesgarha) in identity-spatial reconstruction and the development of urban-oriented tourism. The main question of the research is based on how the reconstruction of tourism happens in the axes with the activity of local industries. What is the structural effect of local micro-industry indicators in reconstructing tourism?How are the indicators of tourism reconstruction based on the activity of local industries, originality-oriented and identity-oriented, related?

The research method in the present study is descriptive-explanatory with an applied nature, and the data collection method was library-documentary and field method. In the field method, by observing and taking physical impressions of the axis and activities, as well as completing a questionnaire from tourists and copper crafts workers in the said axis, between the days of Nowruz, from March 20 to April 10, due to the uncertainty of the exact number of tourists. In the axis of the said street, the sample size was used using a non-probability sampling method based on an available sample and a group without bias. Therefore, the questionnaires were completed by tourists in the mentioned period (20 days) 140 data collected in SPSS software was mainly descriptive statistics analysis (mean, standard deviation, and variance) and inferential statistics based on Pearson correlation analysis and path analysis structural model.

 Descriptive data shows that the tourists based on the local industries of Zanjan copperwares are groups and families and are more from the surrounding provinces. The data shows that the amount of purchase from the mentioned industries is 810 thousand tomans on average. Local industries based on copperwares have found regional and national brands due to the quality and Zanjan logo engraved on the product. The variety of the product has led to the possibility of movement and transportation and its practicality and usability in homes and companies. The product is believable for tourists, and there is more desire to prepare it as decorative and functional kitchen furniture. The variables of tourism reconstruction by correlating and creating a positive mental image and association of the center and the product offered in it have developed center-oriented tourism. Continuity and stability of presence as the main dimension of tourist loyalty to the environment due to the branding of the Zanjan copperware, variety of shape and color, practicality, and long-term durability of the product has led to the development of industry-oriented tourism in the axis.Tourism reconstruction variables are correlated and at a reliable significance level.The effect of tourism reconstruction variables in the structural model of the route is different despite being correlated, and the two variables of tourist loyalty and product branding have the greatest impact on tourism reconstruction. Based on Pearson's statistical model, the positive mental reconstruction of the presence and the mental permanence of the existing activity (copperwares) leads to the tourist's satisfaction from being in the center. Also, it advertises Zanjan's hand-made copperware industry and the desire to repeat the trip. As a result, tourism is developed. The originality and identity of the product and the locality of its production and supply, the local mark and logo, along with support and customer orientation, have increased the loyalty of tourists and created a sense of satisfaction and belonging in the space of local industries for tourists.

By examining this issue in one of the historical identity axes of Zanjan city (Mesgarha St.) with the revival of local industries based on copperwares, this research concluded that the tourism reconstruction in these axes occurs when the axis corresponds to the past. The old name of coppersmiths in this axis was the past manifestation of the establishment of copper industries, which is now starting and expanding with the re-establishment of copper guild activities and copperwares. This issue has caused the circle and the basic foundations of tourism reconstruction in the axis. The studies showed that the indicators of tourism reconstruction are in a meaningful relationship. On the other hand, the continued presence of tourists with the development of product brand dimensions has created the association of a positive mind and placed the view of physical quality in the tourist's mental background. Because the tourist, due to the variety of copperwares products, focuses more on the quality of the offered product than on the body-oriented quality features. This research examines the issue of branding the product and improving the physical quality of the historical-identity axes about the revival by the past guild performance and has explained that view and the tourism reconstruction. In order to develop tourism based on indigenous industries in the historical identity axes of a city, it is essential to focus on tourism reconstruction and stabilization. Additionally, any physical activity redesign should be approached from the same perspective.

The Syrian crisis, involving armed conflicts by quasi-military groups and terrorist activities by organizations like ISIS, began in 2011, inflicting countless damages to the national resources and capital. According to the United Nations, over 5,440,000 Syrians were registered as refugees in various countries by December 2017. Considering the population of 21 million at the onset of the crisis in 2011, a considerable portion of the population migrated. Additionally, significant casualties and injuries have been inflicted on the human resources. Syria witnessed 1,949 terrorist incidents from 1970 to 2016, with approximately 1,800 occurring from 2001 to 2016, constituting 92% of all incidents. From 2011 to 2016, 95% of the casualties occurred from terrorist incidents in Syria. Damage to the national infrastructure (physical and economic) is another aspect of the harm inflicted, with an estimated $41 billion in damages to infrastructure in six major cities , according to the World Bank. Economists forecast a 6.3% growth in the tourism sector in 2018 compared to the gross domestic product growth. Given these factors, Syria needs reconstruction of its infrastructure and compensation for the damages caused by the domestic crisis. Therefore, comprehensive planning and the selection of tourism development strategies are considered a strategy for development and compensation for damages caused by years of war and a top priority for reviving the social and economic sectors of Syria. In this regard, the role of Damascus as the national capital, the center of political, economic, and legal decisions, is particularly important. Furthermore, government attention and protection during the crisis have minimized damage to the infrastructure of this city. Consequently, the higher security of this city compared to other regions causes a higher priority and cost for the presentation of the tourism development model with an emphasis on Damascus. The success of Damascus in promoting tourism development goals can serve as a model for other regions of Syria. In general, this research aims to identify concepts and principles to clarify the rapid and cost-effective development of Syria's tourism engine.

This research has an applied methodology and is among the qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews are used for data collection. The statistical population consists of two groups, experts (economic activists and managers in the tourism management sector in Syria) and researchers (professors and students in the tourism field in Syria with a track record of publishing articles and books about tourism). A total of 30 in-depth interviews were conducted. Furthermore, MAXQDA 2020 qualitative analysis software was used to analyze the interview data. Grounded theory serves as the theoretical framework for the research.

The tourism functions are at the primary level of the identified themes. These functions include 10 cases. The role of tourism in the national economy (pre-war), tourism and peace, expanding restaurant-dining functions, and the effects of tourism development on the economy are the most important factors. The second theme includes barriers to tourism development, including sub-codes such as infrastructural factors, human resources, political-security barriers, economic barriers, and neglect of tourism branding and marketing. Each code related to barriers to tourism development comprises multiple factors highlighted at various levels. The third theme includes the requirements for tourism development based on interviews. This theme includes three sub-codes: Comprehensive and coordinated tourism development planning, health expansion, pandemic control, infrastructure reconstruction by the government sector, international tourism, domestic tourism, focus on tourist hubs in Damascus, security expansion, tourism expansion, trust as the main premise of tourism development, capital provision through taxation, and tourism marketing and branding. The frequency of repetition of items for the codes is presented in the table below. The fourth theme of the interviews includes target markets. This theme consists of sub-codes such as Arab and Persian Gulf countries, Iranian-Shiite pilgrims, and traditional historical attractions preferred by Europeans. The scores of the first and second sub-codes are presented in the following table. The fifth theme of the interviews covers the types of tourism. These types include sub-codes such as the potential for ecotourism development, urban tourism, dark tourism, and spiritual-religious tourism. The following table describes these items and the number of repetitions for each item.

Six main themes, emphasized by experts and researchers are first identified: The functions of tourism, barriers to tourism development, requirements for tourism development, priorities of target markets, types of tourism, and tourism stakeholders. Each of these themes has been emphasized with various branches. The higher frequency of certain factors indicates their importance. In other words, the barriers to tourism development, with 91 repetitions, have been the most important aspect of Syria's tourism development. Following this theme, the requirements for tourism development with 53 repetitions, types of tourism with 31 repetitions, tourism functions with 19 repetitions, priorities of target markets with 11 repetitions, and tourism stakeholders with 6 repetitions have been highlighted. In general, codes such as "spiritual-religious tourism (not necessarily religious tourism)" with 9 repetitions, "weaknesses in advertising, narration, and branding" with 5 repetitions, "energy constraints in the tourism sector" with 5 repetitions, and "budget shortfall and reduction in government's tax revenue preventing tourism investment" with 4 repetitions have been the most emphasized factors by experts and researchers in the tourism sector in Syria.

Souvenirs purchasing is known as a significant aspect of tourists’ experiences and behaviors. Cultural tourism is a rapidly growing segment of the tourism industry. Souvenir purchasing, particularly handcrafted items, is a significant aspect of the cultural tourist experience. Therefore, it is important to identify factors influencing cultural tourists' souvenir purchasing intention. Also, perceived value plays a key role in shaping tourists' behavior. It significantly affects tourists' perceptions and responses to travel experiences, including souvenir purchases. Cultural tourists evaluate souvenirs based on their perceived value, which ultimately influences their purchasing decisions. This study aims to identify the perceived value of handicraft souvenirs by cultural tourists, examine the factors influencing the purchase intentions of cultural tourists by applying the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and investigate the relationship between perceived value and the TPB constructs in shaping cultural tourists' souvenir purchasing intentions in a cultural destination. Isfahan city, Iran, was selected as the study area due to its rich cultural heritage, numerous historical and cultural attractions, and renowned reputation for handicraft production. Moreover, it is a designated UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts.

The present study is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive-analytical in terms of its nature. It was conducted using a quantitative survey methodology. The geographical setting of the research is Isfahan city, and the sample consisted of 360 cultural tourists who visited Isfahan city. Data was collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire. Data collected from respondents in Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Isfahan, using a simple random sampling method. Initially, based on a review of the research literature, the variables for the five constructs of perceived value of handicraft souvenirs, authenticity of handicraft souvenirs, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and purchase intention were identified. The questionnaire was developed accordingly. The questionnaire variables were measured using a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). Content validity was employed to assess the questionnaire's validity. For data analysis, SPSS and Lisrel 8.8 software were utilized. In the first stage, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in SPSS was used to identify the factors of the "perceived value of handicraft souvenirs" construct. In the second stage, the conceptual model of the research was evaluated using the Lisrel structural equation modeling technique.

The findings based on the factor analysis model indicated that handicraft souvenirs hold three distinct values for cultural tourists: cultural-artistic value, utility-value, and sing-value. Cultural tourists purchase handicrafts due to their cultural, artistic, functional nature, and showing cultural status. To test the hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was first conducted to evaluate the constructs and assess the validity and reliability of the measurement model. The factor analysis results confirmed a good fit for the measurement model. Subsequently, the structural model was used to evaluate the model fit and the significance of the relationships between the research variables. The findings indicate that the perceived value of handicraft souvenirs significantly influences the three main constructs affecting souvenir purchasing intentions: authenticity of handicrafts, subjective norm of the sales environment, and perceived behavioral control. This suggests that the perceived value of handicraft souvenirs significantly impacts cultural tourists' attitudes and subjective behaviors when making purchase decisions. Additionally, the variables of authenticity, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were found to have a positive and significant effect on cultural tourists' purchase intentions. The results revealed that perceived value has a positive and significant impact on the authenticity of handicraft souvenirs, and authenticity also influences cultural tourists' purchase intentions. Furthermore, the findings indicate a significant relationship between the perceived value of handicrafts and cultural tourists' purchase intentions through subjective norms of the sales environment. The research findings also suggest that a positive relationship exists between cultural tourists' perceived value of handicraft souvenirs and purchase intentions through perceived behavioral control.

This study investigated the influence of perceived value of handicraft souvenirs on three constructs: authenticity of handicrafts, subjective norms of the sales environment, and perceived behavioral control, in relation to cultural tourists' purchase intentions in Isfahan, Iran. The results demonstrated that the perceived values of handicraft souvenirs significantly impact cultural tourists' purchase intentions. Additionally, perceived value was found to influence cultural tourists' preferred characteristics for purchasing handicrafts. Souvenir planners, producers, and retailers can enhance cultural tourists' purchase intentions by focusing on: preserving the authenticity of handicrafts, providing informative product information, enhancing the sales environment, improving Packaging, producing high-quality handicrafts. By implementing these strategies, souvenir businesses can effectively cater to the preferences of cultural tourists, increase their purchase intentions, and ultimately boost their sales and profitability.

As for the importance of brand equity, it is enough that if a brand has a high special value, the customer will choose it more willingly, pay more, repeat its purchase and remain loyal to the product, and even Brings word-of-mouth development to the brand. One of the destinations that has always been considered by people and those involved in the tourism industry in the field of tourism is urban destinations; One of the cities of the country that has reached an acceptable reputation in the country and especially in the region with many attractions and in the framework of branding is Sarein city of Ardabil province; Avoidance of research conducted in the field of branding of urban destinations shows that although in the last decade, research conducted in this field shows an acceptable figure, but the percentage of research that has made the destination of Sarein its research base Are not so impressive; By accepting the undeniable impact of Sarein city brand on its tourism development, the role of brand equity on brand development and survival of this city, the importance and necessity of addressing brand equity in the study area is determined; The importance of this issue is doubled when we know that the analysis of the impact of the brand equity of Sarein on tourist loyalty, considering the role of brand experience, has not been any research; research questions can be asked as follows:- The brand equiy of Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on the mental experience of its tourists;The brand equiy of Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on the emotional experience of its tourists;- The brand equiy of Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on the behavioral experience of its tourists; The mental experience of tourists in Sarein city has a positive and significant effect on their loyalty;The emotional experience of tourists in Sarein city has a positive and significant effect on their loyalty; Behavioral experience of tourists in Sarein city has a positive and significant effect on their loyalty.

this research is applied and descriptive survey; The statistical population of the present study is the tourists of Sarein city and in consultation with the professors, the number of statistical samples was 250. The completion of theoretical studies and the beginning of survey research studies coincided with the beginning of a new corona wave and the researcher inevitably collected field research information using an online questionnaire; The reliability of the research instrument has been confirmed to the desired level by Cronbach's coefficient and its validity has been confirmed by the experts; Analysis of data after coding was performed in SPSS25 and Smart-PLS2 software environment.
Research

The first hypothesis is confirmed according to the path coefficient of 0.515 and the value of T = 8.494 and it can be concluded that the brand equity of the of Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on the mental experience of its tourists; Also, the second hypothesis based on the effective role of the brand equity of Sarein city on the emotional experience of its tourists is confirmed according to the coefficient of 0.671 and the value of T = 9.819. The value of T = 12.463 and the obtained path coefficient (= 0.641) for the third hypothesis also show the confirmation of this hypothesis and it can be concluded with high confidence that the brand equity in Sarein tourism destination has a positive and significant effect on behavioral experience of Its tourists. The results for the existing hypotheses regarding the tangible effect of tourists' brand experience on their loyalty show a similar situation and show the confirmation of the fourth to sixth hypotheses of the research; In other words, the obtained T value for the fourth hypothesis of the research with a coefficient of 0.550 shows that the mental experience of tourists on their loyalty to the destination is positive and significant. The fifth and sixth hypotheses are confirmed with the coefficients and thus the effect of emotional and behavioral experiences of tourists in Sarein city on their loyalty is confirmed.

Findings showed that the Brand equity of Sarein tourism destination affects their loyalty by affecting the brand experience of tourists; tourists gain experience when they choose the study area for recreation, health care, hiking or leisure; Findings of the study indicate that it is obvious that tourism professionals in Sarein city should meet the expectations of tourists as much as possible in order to improve the quality of their experience by gaining satisfaction. If the events of the destination do not meet the expectations of the tourist and his experience only turns into bad memories, the tourist will probably not have an incentive to return; If the experience gained by the tourist at the destination is evaluated positively by him, it will lead to the preparations for his loyalty and return to the destination; An event that is likely to act as a catalyst, causing the destination to accelerate more steadily.

The importance of the tourism industry and its role in economic, cultural and social growth and development has caused local, regional and national managers and planners all over the world to try and plan for its expansion. Therefore, developing countries have always paid particular attention to the development of tourism. Iran also has a good perspective in this field, especially in the field of religious tourism, due to its rich history of civilization and culture and significant tourism capacities. However, despite the existence of about nine thousand sacred religious places in the country, religious tourism in Iran still lacks a specialized and centralized organization. Among the factors influencing the development of religious tourism, besides having efficient management and a suitable platform, is the management of perceptions and the participation of local and neighboring stakeholders in tourism development programs. In fact, the positive perception of local stakeholders about the effects of tourism can be one of the obvious factors influencing the sustainability of tourism development. Because the perceptions of local stakeholders, including the perceived administrative barriers, are related to how they react to the disturbances caused by the rapid development of tourism. In addition, the development of religious tourism will not be achieved without the participation and support of local and neighboring stakeholders. Therefore, in this research, the role of perceived administrative barriers in the process of religious tourism development has been studied based on the social participation of tourism beneficiaries in Mashhad city.

This research is applied and quantitative in terms of purpose and nature, respectively. In addition, in terms of data collection, the current research is a descriptive type that was conducted in the field. The statistical population of the research includes all the local stakeholders of tourism in Mashhad city, including cultural and religious activists, hoteliers, businessmen, and transport industry activists in the first half of 2022, and the statistical sample is 385 of them, using the available sampling method are selected. In this research, library and field methods were used to collect information. The research questionnaire consists of two main parts. In the first part, the demographic information of the statistical sample and in the second part, the questions related to the research variables, including perceived managerial obstacles in the tourism community (5 questions), social participation of tourism beneficiaries (3 questions), and support of tourism beneficiaries. Religious (3 questions) is presented based on related research, especially the research of Wang et al. (2021). The validity of the questionnaire has been checked and confirmed using the methods of content validity and construct validity and its reliability using the three methods of Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability and reliability of indicators. In order to analyze data and test hypotheses, inferential statistics tests, including the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test in SPSS software and the partial least squares method in PLS software, have been used.

In this research, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to examine the type of data distribution related to the research sample. The results of this test showed that the data related to the research variables do not have a normal distribution. Therefore, due to the non-normality of the data, SmartPLS 3 structural equation software was exerted to analyze the data. The partial least squares method was used to check the research hypotheses and evaluate the structural model. Based on the analysis, the significant numbers related to the parameters of the model, including the factor loading and its errors, are significant. Because their significant number is greater than the absolute value of 1.96, the significant relationship between the variables of the model is confirmed. Also, examining the coefficients of the structural path showed that the coefficient of influence of the variable of social participation of tourism beneficiaries on the support of tourism beneficiaries is 0.623. The positive value of this number indicates the direct effect of the variable of social participation of tourism beneficiaries on the support of the neighbors for the development of religious tourism in Mashhad. In addition, the coefficient of influence of the variable of social participation of tourism beneficiaries on perceived administrative barriers in the tourism community is -0.382, and the negative value of this value indicates the inverse effect of the variable of social participation of tourism beneficiaries on perceived administrative barriers in the tourism community. In addition, the coefficient of influence of the perceived administrative barriers variable in the tourism community on the support of tourism beneficiaries is -0.411, and due to the negativity of this coefficient, the variable of perceived administrative barriers has an inverse effect on support of the neighbors for the development of religious tourism in Mashhad. Therefore, the research hypotheses are accepted.

The results of the data analysis showed that the social participation of tourism beneficiaries has a positive and significant effect on the support of neighbors for the development of religious tourism in Mashhad and a negative and significant effect on their perceived administrative barriers. In addition, the perceived administrative barriers have a negative and significant effect on neighbors' support for the development of religious tourism in Mashhad. Besides, based on the statistical analysis, perceived administrative barriers in the tourism community have a mediating effect between the social participation of the tourism beneficiaries and the support of the neighbors for the development of religious tourism in Mashhad. The findings of the research are in harmony with the results of related studies and confirm them. Therefore, managers and officials of tourism and activists of this area in Mashhad city should pay special attention to these factors and, according to the status of these variables and the relationship between them, more suitable strategies and policies in order to improve the quality and quantity of religious tourism to attract more tourists and develop religious tourism, present and implement, which can ultimately affect the sustainable development of tourism in this region.