Strategies for creating a sense of belonging in a rural tourism destination by mediating tourist satisfaction (Case study: Kandelous village)

Subject Areas : Sustainable Development

Shabahang Rezaei ^{1 *} , Mostafa Mohammadi ² , Mehdi Ramzanzadeh Lesbouei ³

1 - master's degree student in Tourism Management, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Tourism, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
3 - Associate Professor, Department of Tourism, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar,

Received: 2024-11-18 Accepted : 2025-02-13 Published : 2025-03-01

Keywords: Indicators of tourist satisfaction, sense of belonging, tourism destination,

Abstract :

 One of the strategies that has been of interest in most countries of the world in the last decade and has had positive results is the development of tourism in rural areas. Planning for the development of this type of tourism (rural tourism) requires paying attention to the characteristics of tourists and market demands as factors of tourism demand, as well as tourists' satisfaction with the infrastructure, services and attractions of the destination as the tourism supply side. Therefore, the quality of services and the satisfaction of tourists is one of the most important issues in tourism policy, which can lead to the development and improvement of the tourism industry. Therefore, the current research was carried out with the aim of investigating and providing a solution to increase the sense of belonging in rural tourists by increasing their satisfaction with the destination in the village of Kandlos. The research method is a description of the contextualization type, which was implemented using the survey method and the questionnaire tool among 400 tourists in the village of Kandlos. The results of the research showed that tourist satisfaction and its indicators (destination image, service quality, perceived value) have a direct and significant effect on the sense of belonging to the tourist destination in Kandlos village. Therefore, in order to create a sense of belonging in tourists, special attention should be paid to the category of tourists' satisfaction.