The Study of Good Governance in Sustainable Rural Tourism Development (Case Study: Sorkheh Township)

Subject Areas : Regional Planning

masoumeh pazoki ¹ , davod sheikhi ² , farhad zand ³

1 - Associate Professor, Faculty of Geography and rural planning University of PNU, Tehran, Iran
2 - Associate Professor, Faculty of Geography and rural planning University of PNU, Tehran, Iran
3 - Associate Professor, Faculty of Geography and rural planning University of PNU, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2020-01-12 Accepted : 2020-03-05 Published : 2021-11-22

Keywords: VIKOR model, Rural Tourism, Rural Good Governance, COPRAS model, Sorkheh Township,

Abstract :

           In the process of tourism development, the structure of good rural governance plays a very important role in creating of effective coordination and interaction in various sectors which are active in tourism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of good governance in sustainable rural tourism development. In order to study the good governance in the villages of the region, first, one sample t-test was used to test the extent of each of the nine indicators of good rural governance and finally, by combining them, the overall situation of the villages was analyzed. Pearson correlation test was used to find out the relationship between good rural governance and sustainable rural tourism which Pearson correlation coefficient (0.955) indicates a direct, positive and highly significant relationship. The results of the VIKOR model (ranking of villages in terms of sustainability) and the COPRAS model (ranking of villages based on good governance indices) are completely consistent. The villages of Lasjerd and Biabank rank first in terms of good governance indicators and sustainability indicators. In order to test hypotheses and measure sustainability indicators of rural tourism development in Sorkheh Township, at first, the degree of sustainability of each of the environmental, socio-cultural and economic dimensions were tested by using one-sample t-test. The average status of environmental (0.457), socio-cultural (1.039) and economic (0.652) indicators indicates the stability of these indices. Then Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the correlation that there is a direct, positive and strong relationship between the variables of rural governance (total) and the variables of economic sustainability, socio-cultural sustainability and environmental sustainability.
 
Keywords: Rural Good Governance, Rural Tourism, COPRAS model, VIKOR model, Sorkheh Township
 



 


 
 



 
 
 
Extended Abstract
Introduction:
         Rural tourism is a major force in improving the economic growth of the villages and by creating productive job opportunities based on the available potential in the villages, it increases the level of welfare, living standards, income, security, population preservation, Maintaining of ecological balance and natural resources, traditional texture and cultural characteristics of the villages. The best rural management approach for tourism development is exploiting all the potential of tourists attracting and creating a competitive environment in the tourism market in the rural environment. Traditional rural management methods characterized by lack of rural participation, exclusivity, lack of creativity and innovation in development plans and the uncertain status of rural management in the planning process then It cannot be a good response to the needs of people and tourists, the participation of all Beneficiaries in the planning of tourism development and good service. Therefore, the establishment of a participatory environment and sustainable investment in the rural tourism Economic sector by villagers, local institutions and the private sector, it Can contribute to the sustainability of development in the rural tourism sector, in addition to providing good services to tourists, creating a healthy competitive environment, forming diverse economic activities related to tourism. The villages of Sorkheh Township have many historical, cultural and natural attractions and Due to the development of tourism in the region and the increasing number of visitors, this study seeks to analyze good governance in sustainable development of rural tourism in Sorkheh Township. It seeks to answer the question, "Can the realization of a good rural governance approach contribute to the sustainable development of tourism in the region?" From the beginning of the research, the authors have taken into consideration the following three hypotheses: 1) Sorkheh Township is in good condition in terms of good rural governance indicators; 2) Sorkheh Township is in good condition in terms of sustainable rural tourism development indicators; 3) There is a significant relationship between good rural governance and sustainable rural tourism development in Sorkheh.
Methodology:
       This research is an applied research in terms of purpose, and based on the nature of the data, is a Mixed-method research. In this study, Delphi method was used to identify the importance of each of the effective factors in analyzing the position of good governance in rural tourism development sustainability. The statistical population of the study was non-native tourists who visited Sorkheh Township in autumn 2018, Therefore, the sample size was selected from 170 statistical population (when the total size of the statistical population is unknown and the variance of the statistical population is also unknown). 170 non-native tourists were selected at random. Data gathering tool is a researcher-made questionnaire. The variables of this research in the field of governance are: participation, transparency, rule of law, justice, accountability, Responsiveness, supervision, Efficiency, and Professionalism. Data analysis was performed by using SPSS software and one-sample t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient and COPRAS and VIKOR technique.
Findings:
          The results of the VIKOR model (ranking of villages in terms of sustainability) and the COPRAS model (ranking of villages based on good governance indices) are completely consistent. The villages of Lasjerd and Biabank rank first in terms of good governance indicators and sustainability indicators. In order to ensure good rural governance situation in the region, the research indices were combined and they were measured by using one-sample t-test and the study area is in desirable condition. In order to measure sustainability indices of rural tourism development, first, the sustainability of each dimension was tested by using one-sample t-test that the result of the test shows the stability of these indicators. Pearson correlation test was used to determine the relationship between good governance and rural tourism and to determine the direction and intensity of this relationship that shows a direct, positive and very strong relationship. Pearson correlation coefficient test shows that there is a positive, direct and significant relationship between the variables of total rural governance with economic sustainability, socio-cultural sustainability and environmental sustainability.
Conclusion:
          The existence of a framework for the governance in rural tourism is essential Due to the strong dependence of rural tourism to the natural and human resources of the village and the lack of optimal use of these resources and Influence of economic, socio-cultural and environmental situation of the village from tourism. The results show that there is a very weak relationship between accountability and Responsiveness with economic, socio-cultural and environmental sustainability variables. Respondents believed that responsibility and accountability of officials could help improve the conditions for rural tourism development in the region. Since good rural governance means the relationship between government actors and non-government Beneficiaries then the necessary conditions must be provided for private sector investors and People's participation in various stages of planning and implementing of tourism projects. Accountability is one of the mechanisms for achieving social justice and it is proposed to provide mechanisms to address the demands of people and investors in rural tourism to promote social justice and create equal opportunities for the population. Therefore, the presence of accountable formal institutions is essential in the structuralism of management. Good rural governance requires fair legal frameworks to be implemented impartially and According to common values of society, all the people and active institutions in the field of rural tourism to be equal in law. No person or institution should use rent to carry out rural tourism projects. In order to develop rural tourism in the region with respect to the variables of rural governance, it is suggested to document tourism capacities and potentials in the villages of the study area; Coordination between government agencies, Township and villages authorities and the private sector in attracting credit and developing infrastructure; Increase People's participation and private sector participation in all stages of tourism development planning and finally, Utilize the capacity of indigenous peoples in the process of rural tourism development, including eco-tourism homes, infrastructure improvements, and justification education classes Due to the high percentage of university graduates in the area.

References:

1. Akbari Samani, Nahid, Badri, Seyed Ali, Salmani, Mohammad (2013). "Evaluation of Sustainable Rural Tourism Case Study: Saman District of Shahr-e-Kord ", Geography and Urban Planning. 3(9), 29-48.( in Persian)


2. Aminian, Nasser, Saideghavi, Mir Ali, Jahanian, Manouchehr, Emami, Seyed Mohsen (2017). "Evaluation of Good Governance Indicators in Urban Tourism Development", Urban Economics and Management. 5(2), 127-139.( in Persian)


3. Aminian, Nasser, Sidneghavi, Mir Ali (2018). "Presentation of a Model of Favorable Tourism Governance in Iran", Tourism Management Studies. 13(24), 67-102.( in Persian)


4. Azami, Musa, Hashemi, Nahid (2017). "Tourism Effects on Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (Case Study: Melhem Dare and Tarkhin Abad Villages in Hamedan)", Geography of Tourism.  6(23), 99-114.( in Persian)


5. Barghi, Hamid, Kazemi, Zeinab, Souri, Farshad, Mosaiebi, Samaneh (2012). "Evaluating and Ranking the Effective Components of Rural Tourism Marketing with Mixed Marketing Model (Case Study: Amol, Babol, Babolsar and Sari Townships)", Regional Planning. 2(6), 31-41.( in Persian)


6. Beaumont N. Dredge, D., (2010): "Local tourism governance: a comparison of three network approaches", Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 18(1), pp: 7–28, DOI: 10.1080/09669580903215139.


7. Darvishi, Hedayatollah, Biranvand Zadeh, Maryam, Dehghani, Seyed Ali, Ahmadi, Sajjad (2014). "Prioritizing Rural Tourism Development Strategies from the Landscape land use planning, Case Study: Gaykan Village of Aligodarz", Rural Development Strategies. 1(2), 69- 84.( in Persian)


8. Ebrahimzadeh, Issa, Ziaie, Mahmoud, Delshad, Ali (2012). "Principles and Process of Strategic Planning for Tourism Development", Sahara Publications, Mashhad.( in Persian)


9. Estelaji, Alireza, Khoshniat Bayati, Mohammad (2012). "Understanding Tourism Potentials and Providing Optimal Patterns of Tourism Development from a Practical Geography Perspective", Journal of the Iranian Geographical Association. 10(34), 251-274.( in Persian)


10. Fathi, Hamid, Sharifzadegan, Mohammad Hossein, Malekpour Asl, Behzad (2016). “Good governance is institutionalization for development ", Tehran City Center for Studies and Planning (Tehran Municipality), Tehran.( in Persian)


11. Hadizadeh Zargar, Behrang Sakhaei, Sadegh (2014). “Analysis of the fields of tourism development in Rural Settlements of Sari Township", Space Economy and Rural Development. 3(2), 39-53.( in Persian)


12. Haji Alizadeh, Javad, Mousavi, Chamran, Zarafshan, Ata-o-allah (2016). "An Analysis on the Correlation between the Model of Decent Urban Governance and the Level of Citizen Participation", Geographical Space. 16(4), 237-260.( in Persian)


13. Heidari Sarban, Vakil, Arshadi, Ali, Saeb, Sharareh (2017). "Assessing the Impact of Governance on Rural Tourism Development, Case Study: Naier County", Tourism Space. 7(25), 33-50.( in Persian)


14. Heidari Sarban, Vakil (2017). "The Effects of Social Capital on Rural Governance in Ardebil Villages", Socio-Cultural Development Studies. 6(2), 9-44.( in Persian)


15. Malek Hosseini, Abbas (2017). "Investigating the Role of Good Urban Governance in Semnan Tourism Management and Planning", New Attitudes in Human Geography. 9(3), 1-23.( in Persian)


16. Mckercher, B., (2003): "Some fundamental truths about tourism, understanding tourism’s social environmental impacts", journal of sustainable tourism, 1(1), pp: 6-16


17. Mohammad nejad, Ali, Ghorbani Sepehr, Arash, Shams Pouya, Mohammad Kazem, Lashgari, Ali Asghar (2015). "Analyzing the Role of Good Governance in the Sustainable Tourism Development Case Study: Tehran City", Fourth conference of Islamic-Iranian Model of Iranian Progress; Past, Present, Future.( in Persian)


18. Morshedi, Behnam, Ahmadi, Dariush, Faraji Sabokbar, Hossein Ali, Rezvani, Mohammad Reza (2016). "Spatial Zoning of Tourism Centers to Determine Optimal Areas of Tourism Services in Fars Province", Regional Planning. 6(21), 17 -30.( in Persian)


19. Najarzadeh, Mohammad, Torabi, Zabihollah, Malkan, Ahmad (2017). "Investigating the Impact of Social Capital on Good Governance and Sustainability of Rural Communities with the Moderating Role of Cultural Capital; Case Study: Goodwin County, Kangavar Township", Spatial Planning. 7(3), 25-40.( in Persian)


20. Rannani, Hossein, Sajadieh, Farzam, Torabi, Afsaneh (2013). "The Role of Good Governance in Tourism Attraction (Case Study: Selected Countries of OPEC)", National Conference on Iranian Economic Outlook 2013: 1-24.( in Persian)


21. Rezvani, Mohammad Reza, Bayat, Naser (2014). "Analyzing the Rural Tourism Position in the Large-Scale Development Plans of the Country with Emphasis on Five-Year National Development Plans", Tourism Development Planning. 3(9), 11-30.( in Persian)


22. Rezvani, Mohammad Reza, Sabbaghpour Azian, Mahdieh, Shafia, Saeed (2017). "The Role of Key Actors in E-Tourism Governance in Iran", Tourism Management Studies. 12(40), pp. 41-82.( in Persian)


23. Rokneddin Eftekhari, Abdolreza, Mahdavi, Davood, Pourtahari, Mehdi (2010). "Localization Process of Sustainable Development Indicators of Rural Tourism in Iran", Rural Research. 1(4), 1-41.( in Persian)


24. Rokneddin Eftekhari, Abdolreza, Azimi Amoli, Jalal, Pourtahari, Mehdi, Ahmadipour, Zahra (2012). "Presentation of an Appropriate Model of Good Rural Governance in Iran", Geopolitics. 8(2), 1-28.( in Persian)


25. Rokneddin Eftekhari, Abdolreza, Azimi Amoli, Jalal, Pourtahari, Mehdi, Ahmadipour, Zahra (2011). "Explaining the Relationship between Good Governance and Sustainable Rural Development in Rural Areas of Mazandaran Province", Rural Researches. 2(4), 1-24.( in Persian)


26. Sharifzadeh, Abolghasem, Moradi Nejad, Homayoun (2002). "Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism", Jihad, No. 250-251, 52-63.( in Persian)


27. Taghvaei, Masoud, Zanganeh, Mehdi (2012). "An Analysis on the Development of Rural Tourism in Shandiz Resort Area of Mashhad", Geography and Planning. 16(24), 89-112.( in Persian)


28. Tayebi, Mohammad Reza, Hosseini, Abolhassan, Rezaei, Timur (2015). "Evaluation of Good Urban Governance Indicators in Tourism Destination Cities by IPA Method, case study: Tonekabon", Urban Tourism. 2(3), 219-231.( in Persian)


29.  Terner, M. Hiume, D., (2005). "Governance, management and development", translation to Persian by: Abbas Monavarian, Tehran, Higher Institute of Education and research for management and planning.( in Persian)


30. UNDP. (2002): "Governance Unit Jakarta, Introducing good Local Governance, the Indonesian Experience", Jakarta, University of Jakarta.


31. Wesley, A. Pforr, C., (2010): "The governance of coastal tourism: unravelling the layers of complexity at Smiths Beach, Western Australia', Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 18(6), pp: 773–792.


32. Yari Hesar, Arastoo, Bakhtar, Soheila (2016)."Evaluation of Sustainable Rural Tourism Indicators From the perspective of Local Communities and Tourists (Case Study: Nair County)", Regional Planning. 6(22), 121-134.( in Persian)


33.