Investigating the capabilities of desert areas in Iran in order to attract foreign tourists (Case Study: Mesr Desert and Maranjab Desert)
محورهای موضوعی : Geography and tourism planning, geography and urban planning, urban planning, architecture, geography and rural planning, political geographyFatemeh Douzandeh Ziabary 1 , Heydar Lotfi 2
1 - M.A. of Geography & Tourism planning, Rasht Branch,
Islamic Azad Univercity, Rasht, Iran
2 - Associate Professor of Political Geography, Garmsar Branch,
Islamic Azad Univercity, Garmsar, Iran
کلید واژه:
چکیده مقاله :
Majority of Iran (about 90%) is situated in semi-arid, desert and semi-desert regions. The vast extent of dry areas in Iran necessitates a thorough consideration of the potentials of these areas in the field of ecotourism industry. Desert areas in Iran are full of tourist attractions, so that in addition to the natural attractions of deserts and salt deserts, it is possible to say that most cities or even some rural areas located in these regions have unique cultural monuments and historical and natural attractions. Dasht-e Kavir (Great Salt Desert) and Dasht-e-Lut (Lut Desert), the two largest salt deserts in central Iran, are considered as one of the richest ecotourism potentials in the Middle East. The spatial scope of this research includes sandy and salt desert tourism destinations such as Maranjab Desert located in northern Aran va Bidgol, city and Mesr village in the central district of Khur and Biabanak County, Isfahan Province. In this research, we tried to examine the hypotheses of this study by identifying the specific and unique potentials of these areas, based on the field study and collecting library documents and information, using observations, interviews with authorities and professionals in the field of tourism and referring to the relevant web sites. The analysis of data of this research indicates that the unique conditions of the studied areas in terms of natural, historical and sport attractions and so on are among the most important potentials for attracting domestic and foreign tourists. According to the findings of this study, the difference between the culture of tourists and local subcultures and also the lack of necessary facilities and infrastructure are among the problems facing the officials and tourists in these areas. Based on the interviews conducted with tourism officials and local trustees, the development of any tourism activity requires the existence of infrastructures such as roads, transportation, residential centers, health centers, security centers as well as religious and cultural infrastructures, so that the tourism activity in these areas can become as dynamic as possible.
1) Ehsani, A., Nahuji, M., The potentials and ecotourism attractions of desert areas, (Case study: Isfahan), The first National Conference on Deserts, Opportunities, Threats, Birjand University, 2010
2) Armaghan, S, Tourism and its Role in Geography, Azad University, 2007
3) Alwani, Seyyed Mehdi, Pirooz Bakht, Masoumeh, Tourism Management Process, Tehran, Cultural Research Center Publications, First Edition, 2006
4) Papeli Yazdi, Mohammad Hossein, Saghaei, Mehdi, Tourism (Nature and Concepts), Semat Publications, Tehran, autumn 2009
5) Jahanian, Manouchehr, General guide to salt desert and desert and its role in the development of tourism in Iran, Publications of Jihad University, 2009
6) Jahanian, Manoochehr, Zandi, Ebtehal, Surveying Ecotourism Potentials of Desert and Desert Areas around Yazd Province Using SWOT Analysis Model, 2010
7) Chuck y. Gey, in collaboration with Edoardo Fayo Sula, translatied by Parsaiyan, Ali and Arabi, Seyyed Mohammad, Tourism in a Comprehensive Perspective, Office of Cultural Studies Publications, 2003
8) Hassanpour, Mahmoud, Ahmadi, Zaynab, Elyasi, Hasan, Determining Tourism Reception Capacity in Salt Desert and Desert Regions of Iran, Case Study: Shahdad, Maranjab-Bandar Rig and Mesr-Farahzad, Journal of Tourism Studies, No. 14, 2011
9) Hekmatf Yaghmaei, Abdolkarim, Namak Desert, Tehran, 1991
10) Ranjbarian, Bahram, Zahidi, Mohammad, Tourism Marketing, Chaharbagh Publications, Isfahan, 2009
11) Ranjbaran, Bahram, Zahedi, Mohammad, Tourism Planning at National and Regional Level, Jihad University Publication, Isfahan, 2000
12) Rezvani, Ali Asghar, Geography and Tourism Industry, Payame Noor University Publication, 2003
13) Rezvani, Ali Asghar, Ecotourism and its role in environmental protection, Journal of Political-Economic Information, No. 74, 2001
14) Rahnamaei, Mohammad Taqi, Tourism Comprehensive Plan of Ardabil Province, Volume I, 2002
15. Zahedi, Sh. The Basics of Tourism and Sustainable Ecotourism (Emphasizing the Environment), Allameh Tabatabaei University Publications, 2006
16) Zarrin Kamari, Hamed, Designing Sustainable Desert Village with Emphasis on Housing & Tourism Industry, Architecture Master’s Thesis, Qazvin University, 2007
17) Zendeh Del, Hasan, A comprehensive Guidebook for Traveling in Isfahan Province, Iran Gardan Publishing House, 2005
18) Tourism Comprehensive Plan of Isfahan, Evaluation and assessment of domestic and international potentials of Isfahan, Isfahan Province Organization of Tourism, 2004
19) Isfahan Province Organization of Tourism, Tourism Comprehensive Plan of Isfahan, Evaluation and assessment of domestic and international potentials of Isfahan, 2004
20) Sabk Khiz, M., Desert tourism planning in rural development with emphasis on Mesr village, Thesis of Isfahan Art University, 2009
21) Saghaei, M., Feasibility study of Ecotourism Development in Iran, Regional Conference on Tourism and Sustainable Development, Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr, 2002
22) Shariati, Ali, Descending into desert
23) Feyz Bakhsh, Hooshang, Tourism Industry in Iran and the World, Publications of Higher Service and Communication Center, 2002
24) Kargar, Bahman, Urban Development and Tourism Industry in Iran (From Concept to Strategy), Geographic Organization of the Armed Forces, Tehran, 2007
25) Kazemi, Mehdi, Tourism Management, Semat Publication, 2006
26) Kurdobani, Parviz. Theory, A New Theory for Deserts (Salt Deserts), Tehran University Publishing House, 2008
27) Kurdavani, Parviz. The salt deserts of Dashte-e Kavir and neighboring regions (issues, capabilities and ways of exploitation), Tehran University Publishing House, 2007
28) Kurdavani, Parviz, A Discussion Paper on the Definitions and Characteristics of Arid, Salt Desert and Desert Regions, Journal of Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, No. 150, Volume 38, Summer 2008
29) Kurdavani, Parviz, Desert Issues, Iran's Huge Economic Resources, The First National Conference on Iranian Studies, 2002
30) Kurdavani, Parviz, Arid regions, Volume I, Climatic characteristics, Drought causes and origins, Publishing and Printing Institute of Tehran University, Third edition, revised, 1996
31) Karimpour Reyhan, M., Eshraqi, M., Ecotourism potentials in desert areas (Case study: Kashan region), Biaban Magazine (Special edition for the national day against desertification), Khordad 2009
32) Clinsley, Daniel, translated by Pashaei, Abbas, Iranian deserts, geomorphologic and paleoclimateologic characteristics, geographic publication of the Ministry of Defense and armed forces, 2002
33) Gabriel, Alfonso, Translated by Najd Sameei, Faramarz, Crossing the deserts of Iran, Astan Quds Razavi Printing and Publishing Institute, Mashhad, 1992
34) Latifi, Mehrnoush, Paper on life development in deserts, 2006, Islamic Azad University, Ardestan unit
35) Maghsoudi, Mehran, Shamsipour, Ali Akbar, Nourbakhsh, Seyyedeh Fatemeh, The feasibility study of optimal areas for the development of Geomorphotourism (Case Study: Maranjab Area in the South of Namak Lake), Journal of Natural Geography, No 77, Autumn 2011
36) Iranian Statistics Center
37) Nazar, Hussein, A Step on the Deserts of Iran, Hossein Nazar Publication, Tehran, 2008
38) Hedin, Sven, Iranian Deserts, (Sven Hedin), Translated by Rajabi, Parviz, Cultural Heritage Publishing House, Second Edition, 2002
References (English)
1) Stratil- Sauer , G . Der Hitzepol der Erde . Umschaw 1936,
2) Gabriel , A : Die Wusten der Erde und iher Erforschung
3) Trembaly , p. , Desert Tourism Scoping Study , Desert Knowledge CRC , Report 12 , Australia , Charles Darwin University , 2006 .
4) Kardavani , p. role of biotic and environmental Factors in the extension of the Lut in Iran . Annals of Arid zones , published by the Arid zone Reasearch Association of India , 1978
www.sid.ir