Challenges Ahead of Urban Tourism Economic Development (A Case of Ardabil)
Subject Areas :AbdolRahim Hashemi dizaj 1 , Zhila Farzanehsadatzaranji 2 , Maryam Maryam Jami odolulo 3
1 - Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 - Ph.D. in Geography and Urban Planning, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Payam-e-Noor University, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: tourism development, tourism economy, challenges, structural-interpretive model (ISM),
Abstract :
The tourism industry, ranking as the third-largest sector, plays a crucial role in providing economic resources for cities. Effective management of tourism potential can create substantial income and support sustainable urban development. This research aims to identify challenges obstructing urban tourism development, focusing on Ardabil city as a case study. Employing a descriptive-exploratory approach, the study involves experts familiar with Ardabil's tourism industry as the research population. Fifteen experts were selected using the snowball sampling method as the statistical sample. The questionnaire's reliability was assessed through the retest method, yielding an initial correlation of 0.780 and a repeated correlation of 0.763, indicating acceptable reliability. Validity was ensured through content analysis, with data analyzed using Structural Interpretive Modeling (ISM). Findings reveal that an organization with an influence power of 8 has the greatest impact, while socio-cultural challenges hold the least influence at 5.
