Key Factors of Nature-Based Tourism Future Development in Less-Developed Nature Destinations  - Case study: Ardabil province of Iran

Sarasadat  Makian; Fatemeh Bagheri; Amir Hossein  Qezelbash

doi:10.5937/gp27-44751

Sarasadat Makian Grenoble Alpes University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9935-5877
Fatemeh Bagheri Algarve University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7723-1091
Amir Hossein Qezelbash Polytechnic University of Turin https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2349-2610

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/gp27-44751

Keywords: Nature-based tourism, Sustainability, Knowledge sharing, Thematic analysis, Iranian tourism, Ardabil

Abstract

The study examines key factors influencing nature-based tourism (NBT) development in less-developed nature destinations, selecting Ardabil province of Iran as a case study. It employed a qualitative approach involving fifteen semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. The study identified seven factors contributing to the development of NBT: tourism development requirements, new managerial initiatives, political support and planning, democratic approach, destination management, sustainability and awareness. The study highlights the importance of sustainability in shaping the future of NBT, which must be considered in policymaking and planning and environmental and climate change impact management. The study recommends knowledge circulation for effective future-based planning. The findings provide valuable insight into the factors required for NBT development at macro and micro levels and can assist DMOs and policymakers of less-developed nature destinations better underrated NBT destination management, allowing them to be better prepared for the future.

References

Abou, A., & Hady, S. (2019). Ecotourism and sustainability: Practices of the Lebanese nature-based operators. Menadzment u hotelijerstvu i turizmu, 7(1), 11–23.

Alizadeh, M., Mirzaei, R., & Dittmann, A. (2021). Climate change and its potential impacts on sustainable tourism development. Anatolia, 32(3), 443–455.

An, L. T., Markowski, J., Bartos, M., Rzenca, A., & Namiecinski, P. (2019). An evaluation of destination attractiveness for nature-based tourism: Recommendations for the management of national parks in Vietnam. Nature Conservation, 32, 51–80.

Araújo, I. O. (2017). The impact of nature-based tourism activities promoted by tour operators on the environmental perception of visitors (MA dissertation). Lisbon University, Portugal.

Aref, F. (2011). Barriers to community capacity building for tourism development in communities in Shiraz, Iran. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(3), 347–359.

Arnegger, J., Woltering, M., & Job, H. (2010). Toward a product-based typology for nature-based tourism: A conceptual framework. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 18(7), 915–928.

Azungah, T. (2018). Qualitative research: Deductive and inductive approaches to data analysis. Qualitative Research Journal, 18(4), 383–400.

Buckley, R. (1994). A framework for ecotourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 21(3), 661–665.

Canteiro, M., Córdova-Tapia, F., & Brazeiro, A. (2018). Tourism impact assessment: A tool to evaluate the environmental impacts of touristic activities in Natural Protected Areas. Tourism Management Perspectives, 28, 220–227.

Center for Responsible Travel. (2018). The Case for Responsible Travel:Trends & Statistics 2018. Washington, DC: Center for Responsible Travel.

Coldrey, K. M., & Turpie, J. K. (2020). Potential impacts of changing climate on nature-based tourism: A case study of South Africa’s national parks. KOEDOE - African Protected Area Conservation and Science, 62(1).

Country Travel Coordination Center. (2019). Ardabil province tourism statistics report (pp. 1–3). Iran: Iranian Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization.

De Urioste-Stone, S. M., Le, L., Scaccia, M. D., & Wilkins, E. (2016). Nature-based tourism and climate change risk: Visitors’ perceptions in mount desert island, Maine. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 13, 57–65.

Dhami, I., Deng, J., Strager, M., & Conley, J. (2017). Suitability-sensitivity analysis of nature-based tourism using geographic information systems and analytic hierarchy process. Journal of Ecotourism, 16(1), 41–68.

Dixon, J., Hamilton, K., Pagiola, S., & Segnestan, L. (2001). Tourism and the Environment in the Caribbean: An Economic Framework (Departmental Working Paper). Washington, D.C: World Bank Group.

Eldh, A. C., Årestedt, L., & Berterö, C. (2020). Quotations in Qualitative Studies: Reflections on Constituents, Custom, and Purpose. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 160940692096926.

Faraji Vaghaslo, V., Hajjarian, M., & Hossein Zadeh, O. (2023). Evaluation of sustainable development indicators of nature-based tourism in developed and developing countries. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 1–27.

Fernandes, L. D. M. (2011). Nature-based tourist bahaviour and the conservation of natural resources: The case of Itacare the Brazilian Atlantic forest (MA dissertation). Montreal University, Quebec.

Firouzfar, G. (2012). Central—Regional budget allocation process in Iran: A critical analysis (PhD thesis). University of Westminster, UK.

Fossgard, K., & Fredman, P. (2019). Dimensions in the nature-based tourism experience scape: An explorative analysis. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 28, 100219.

Fyall, A. (2014). Case study, tourism. In J. Jafari & H. Xiao (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Tourism (pp. 1–3). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Retrieved March 14, 2022, from http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_244-1>

Gajdošík, T., & Valeri, M. (2022). Complexity of Tourism Destination Governance: A Smart Network Approach. In M. Valeri (Ed.), Advances in Hospitality, Tourism, and the Services Industry (pp. 119–132). IGI Global. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from http://services.igi-global.com/resolvedoi/resolve.aspx?doi=10.4018/978-1-6684-3889-3.ch008>

Ghorbani, A., Raufirad, V., Rafiaani, P., & Azadi, H. (2015). Ecotourism sustainable development strategies using SWOT and QSPM model: A case study of Kaji Namakzar Wetland, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Tourism Management Perspectives, 16, 290–297.

Girard, J., & Girard, J. (2015). Defining knowledge management: Toward an applied compendium. Online Journal of Applied Knowledge Management, 3(1), 1–20.

Gupta, A., Zhu, H., Bhammar, H., Earley, E., Filipski, M., Narain, U., Spencer, P., Whitney, E., & Taylor, J. E. (2023). Economic impact of nature-based tourism. PLOS ONE, 18(4), e0282912.

Haid, M., Albrecht, J. N., & Finkler, W. (2021). Sustainability implementation in destination management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 312, 127718.

Hall, C. M., & Boyd, S. (2004). Nature-based Tourism in Peripheral Areas: Introduction. In C. M. Hall & S. W. Boyd (Eds.), Nature-Based Tourism in Peripheral Areas (pp. 3–18). Multilingual Matters. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.21832/9781845410025-003/html>

Holden, A. (2003). In need of new environmental ethics for tourism? Annals of Tourism Research, 30(1), 94–108.

Hoseinpour, R., & Riyahi, L. (2018). Relationship between Medical Therapy Tourism and the Rate of Tourism Attraction in Ardabil Province. Journal of health, 9(2).

Husseininezhad, S. R., & Daryabari, S. J. (2017). The Role of Regional Tourism Sustainable Development (Case Study: Health Tourism Ardabil province). Quarterly of Geography (Regional Planing), 7(3).

Ionescu, G., Firoiu, D., Pîrvu, R., Bădîrcea, R., & Drăgan, C. (2018). Implementation of Integrated Management Systems and Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives—A Romanian Hospitality Industry Perspective. Sustainability, 10(10), 3684.

Islam, Md. W., Ruhanen, L., & Ritchie, B. W. (2018). Tourism governance in protected areas: Investigating the application of the adaptive co-management approach. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(11), 1890–1908.

Jafari, M., & Salmani, M. (2018). Assessment of tourism comfort climate in Ardabil Province using TCI Index and GIS Technique. Quarterly of geographical data, 27(105), 159–170.

Karamustafa, K. (2012). Modern Mass Tourism. Tourismos, 433-436 Pages. tourismos.

Kennedy, K., & Dornan, D. (2009). An Overview: Tourism Non-governmental Organizations and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 14(2), 183–200.

Kim, Y. J., Lee, D. K., & Kim, C. K. (2020). Spatial tradeoff between biodiversity and nature-based tourism: Considering mobile phone-driven visitation pattern. Global Ecology and Conservation, 21, e00899.

Kolahi, M., Sakai, T., Moriya, K., Yoshikawa, M., & Esmaili, R. (2014). From paper parks to real conservations: Case study of social capital in Iran’s biodiversity conservation. International Journal of Environmental Research, 8(1), 101–114.

Larrán Jorge, M., Herrera Madueño, J., Calzado Cejas, M. Y., & Andrades Peña, F. J. (2015). An approach to the implementation of sustainability practices in Spanish universities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 34–44.

Larson, L. R., & Poudyal, N. C. (2012). Developing sustainable tourism through adaptive resource management: A case study of Machu Picchu, Peru. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 20(7), 917–938.

Lee, T. H., & Jan, F.-H. (2018). Ecotourism Behavior of Nature-Based Tourists: An Integrative Framework. Journal of Travel Research, 57(6), 792–810.

Li, R. Y. M., Li, Y. L., Crabbe, M. J. C., Manta, O., & Shoaib, M. (2021). The Impact of Sustainability Awareness and Moral Values on Environmental Laws. Sustainability, 13(11), 5882.

Makian, S., & Hanifezadeh, F. (2021). Current challenges facing ecotourism development in Iran. Journal of Tourismology, 7(1), 123–140.

Makian, S., & Nematpour, M. (2021). Foresight thinking and organizational learning: Scenario planning as a DMO crisis management tool. In Z. Ghaderi & A. Paraskevas (Eds.), Organizational learning in tourism and hospitality crisis management (pp. 107–118). De Gruyter. Retrieved December 17, 2021, from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110679120-007/html>

Mehr News Agency. (2019). Selecting Ardabil as ECO tourism capital to guarantee provincial development. Mehr News Agency. Retrieved April 30, 2020, from https://en.mehrnews.com/news/151027/Selecting-Ardabil-as-ECO-tourism-capital-to-guarantee-provincial>

MENAFN. (2020). Iran talks investments in tourism sector of country’s Ardabil Province | MENAFN.COM. MENAFN - Trend News Agency. Retrieved April 30, 2020, from https://menafn.com/1099908876/Iran-talks-investments-in-tourism-sector-of-countrys-Ardabil-Province>

Meszaros, K. A. (2015). Exploring Local Knowledge and Capacities to Address Climate Risk and Adaptation Along the North Shore of Minnesota (Master thesis). North Carolina State University, USA.

Metin, T. C. (2019). Nature-Based Tourism, Nature Based Tourism Destinations’ Attributes and Nature Based Tourists’ Motivations. In O. Cakir (Ed.), Travel Motivations: A Systematic Analysis of Travel Motivations in Different Tourism Context (p. 31). Turkey: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing.

Monaco, S. (2018). Tourism and the new generations: Emerging trends and social implications in Italy. Journal of Tourism Futures, 4(1), 7–15.

Mushawemhuka, W., Fitchett, J. M., & Hoogendoorn, G. (2022). Climate change and adaptation in the Zimbabwean nature-based tourism industry. Anatolia, 1–12.

Nasehi, F. (2019). Survey the sustainable development of tourism in protected areas (Case Study: Sabalan area in Ardabil province). Journal of Geographical Science, 14(29), 72–91.

Newsome, D., Moore, S., & Dowling, R. (2002). Natural Area Tourism: Ecology, Impacts and Management. Clevedon, UK: Channel View Publications.

Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic Analysis: Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 160940691773384.

OECD (Ed.). (2008). Wildlife and Nature-Based Tourism for Pro-Poor Growth (pp. 105–115). OECD Publishing.

Nyaupane, G. P. (2007). Ecotourism versus Nature-based Tourism: Do Tourists Really Know the Difference? Anatolia, 18(1), 161–165.

Orams, M. B. (1995). Towards a more desirable form of ecotourism. Tourism Management, 16(1), 3–8.

O’Toole, L. J. (2004). Public Management in Intergovernmental Networks: Matching Structural Networks and Managerial Networking. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 14(4), 469–494.

Ozguzel, S. (2020). Evaluation and identification of barriers to tourism in islamic countries. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research, 8(3), 61–68.

Padma, P., Ramakrishna, S., & Rasoolimanesh, S. M. (2022). Nature-Based Solutions in Tourism: A Review of the Literature and Conceptualization. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 46(3), 442–466.

Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544.

Parola, G. (2013). Environmental Democracy at the Global Level: Rights and Duties for a New Citizenship. Versita Ltd, 78 York Street, London W1H 1DP, Great Britain.: Versita. Retrieved April 18, 2023, from http://www.degruyter.com/view/books/9788376560144/9788376560144/9788376560144.xml>

Pearce, D. (2016). Interdependent destination management functions. Tourism Recreation Research, 41(1), 37–48.

Petursson, J. G., & Kristofersson, D. M. (2021). Co-Management of Protected Areas: A Governance System Analysis of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. Land, 10(7), 681.

Pickering, C., & Weaver, D. B. (2003). Nature-based tourism and sustainablitiy: Issues and approaches. In R. Buckley, C. Pickering, & D. B. Weaver (Eds.), Nature-based tourism, environment, and land management (pp. 7–19). Wallingford, Oxon, UK ; Cambridge, MA, USA: CABI Publishing.

Priskin, J. (2001). Assessment of natural resources for nature-based tourism: Tourism Management, 22(6), 637–648.

Qiu, M., Sha, J., & Scott, N. (2021). Restoration of Visitors through Nature-Based Tourism: A Systematic Review, Conceptual Framework, and Future Research Directions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 2299.

Rahayuningsih, T., Muntasib, E. K. S. H., & Prasetyo, L. B. (2016). Nature Based Tourism Resources Assessment Using Geographic Information System (GIS): Case Study in Bogor. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 33, 365–375.

Rahimi, J., Ebrahimpour, M., & Khalili, A. (2013). Spatial changes of Extended De Martonne climatic zones affected by climate change in Iran. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 112(3–4), 409–418.

Rahmani, B., IMANI, B., Maleki, L. O., & Bagherzade, M. (2012). Investigating and Identifying the Natural and Human Potentials of Tourism in Rural Areas (Case Study: Sarein Abergarm Village in Ardabil Province). Geographical journal of tourism space, 1(2).

Rahmani, B., Imani, B., & Nezammahale, M. (2010). Feasibility Study of Tourism Development in Rural Areas (Case Study: Abegram Village of Sarein Ardabil Province). Journal of Geography, 4(15).

Räikkönen, J., Grénman, M., Rouhiainen, H., Honkanen, A., & Sääksjärvi, I. E. (2023). Conceptualizing nature-based science tourism: A case study of Seili Island, Finland. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(5), 1214–1232.

Reid, M., & Schwab, W. (2006). Barriers to Sustainable Development: Jordan’s Sustainable Tourism Strategy. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 41(5–6), 439–457.

Roxana, D. M. (2012). Considerations about Ecotourism and Nature-Based Tourism—Realities and Perspectives. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences, 1(5), 215–221.

Ruhanen, L. (2008). Progressing the Sustainability Debate: A Knowledge Management Approach to Sustainable Tourism Planning. Current Issues in Tourism, 11(5), 429–455.

Sayad, L., & Gharakhloo, M. (2018). Analysis and Levelling of Tourist Attractions in Ardabil Province. Journal of urban tourism, 5(1). Retrieved from https://jut.ut.ac.ir/article_65844_en.html>

Shafer, E. L., & Choi, Y. (2006). Forging nature-based tourism policy issues: A case study in Pennsylvania. Tourism Management, 27(4), 615–628.

Shahbaz, M., Bashir, M. F., Bashir, M. A., & Shahzad, L. (2021). A bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review of tourism-environmental degradation nexus. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(41), 58241–58257.

Shang, Y., Bi, C., Wei, X., Jiang, D., Taghizadeh-Hesary, F., & Rasoulinezhad, E. (2023). Eco-tourism, climate change, and environmental policies: Empirical evidence from developing economies. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 275.

Sobhani, B. (2010). Identification of Tourism Potentials of Sardabah Spa Area in Ardabil Province by SWOT. Regional Urban Studies and Research Journal, 1(4).

Sobhani, B., Safarian, V., & Ramezani, F. (2018). The time variations of rainfall in the plains of Ardebil using statistical analysis with an emphasis on using Mann-Kendall. Journal of sustainable development and environment, 4(4).

Sørensen, F., & Grindsted, T. S. (2021). Sustainability approaches and nature tourism development. Annals of Tourism Research, 91, 103307.

Statistic Center of Iran. (2018). National Tourism Survey Results. Program and Budget Organization Of Iran.

Taherdost, H. (2016). Sampling Methods in Research Methodology; How to Choose a Sampling Technique for Research. International Journal of Academic Research in Management, 5(2), 18–27.

Tang, H., Ma, Y., & Ren, J. (2022). Influencing factors and mechanism of tourists’ pro-environmental behavior – Empirical analysis of the CAC-MOA integration model. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1060404.

Tavakoli, B., Alipor, M., & Jahani, F. (2014). Use of MCDM Methods in order to Prioritize Tourism (Case Study: Ardebil Province). Journal of studies of human settelments planning, 9(26).

Tehran Times, 2020. (2020, April 19). Authorities planning big to make Ardebil winter tourism hub. Tehran Times. Retrieved April 30, 2020, from https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/446962/Authorities-planning-big-to-make-Ardebil-winter-tourism-hub>

Teles da Mota, V., & Pickering, C. (2021). Geography of Discourse about a European Natural Park: Insights from a Multilingual Analysis of Tweets. Society & Natural Resources, 34(11), 1492–1509.

Thomas, D. R. (2006). A General Inductive Approach for Analyzing Qualitative Evaluation Data. American Journal of Evaluation, 27(2), 237–246.

Tisdell, C. (2013). Nature-based Tourism in Developing Countries: Issues and Case Studies (Working Paper 190). The university of Queensland.

Tkaczynski, A., Rundle-Thiele, S. R., & Prebensen, N. K. (2015). Segmenting Potential Nature-Based Tourists Based on Temporal Factors: The Case of Norway. Journal of Travel Research, 54(2), 251–265.

Torn, A. (2007). Sustainability of nature-based tourism [Dissertation]. University of Oulu.

Tosun, C. (2001). Challenges of sustainable tourism development in the developing world: The case of Turkey. Tourism Management, 22(3), 289–303.

Tosun, C. (2006). Expected nature of community participation in tourism development. Tourism Management, 27(3), 493–504.

Tosun, C., & Timothy, D. J. (2001). Shortcomings in planning approaches to tourism development in developing countries: The case of Turkey. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 13(7), 352–359.

Varesi, H., Sarvar, H., Mobaraki, O., & Abdolahzadeh, M. (2012). Feasibility assessment of ecotourism attractions in Ardebil province. Journal of Geography and Planning, 16(40). Retrieved from https://geoplanning.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_92.html>

Verlinden, S., Wynen, J., Kleizen, B., & Verhoest, K. (2022). Blurred Lines: Exploring the Impact of Change Complexity on Role Clarity in the Public Sector. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 0734371X2210935.

Weinberger, A., Stegmann, K., & Fischer, F. (2007). Knowledge convergence in collaborative learning: Concepts and assessment. Learning and Instruction, 17(4), 416–426.

Wolf, I. D., Croft, D. B., & Green, R. J. (2019). Nature Conservation and Nature-Based Tourism: A Paradox? Environments, 6(9), 104.

Wolter, L. (2014). Nature-Based Tourism in Mallorca’s Natural Areas: The Benefits of Tourism for Natural Areas. BestMasters (1st ed. 2014.). Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden : Imprint: Springer Gabler.

Yarihesar, A., Mahdavi, Heydari, V., & Ebrahimi Dehkordi, K. (2016). Monitoring of Sustainable Tourism Life Cycle by using compilation model of Alen-Battler (The case study: Tourism Target Rurales of Ardabil province). Journal of Spatial Planning, 19(4).

Yfantidou, G., & Matarazzo, M. (2017). The Future of Sustainable Tourism in Developing Countries. Sustainable Development, 25(6), 459–466.

Yiu, M., & Law, R. (2014). Review and Application of Knowledge Management and Knowledge Sharing in Tourism. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 19(7), 737–759.

Yıldırım, T. B., Ak, T., & Ölmez, Z. (2008). Assessment of the natural-cultural resources in Çanakkale for nature-based tourism. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 10(6), 871–881.

Zhang, S., & Chan, C.-S. (2016). Nature-based tourism development in Hong Kong: Importance–Performance perceptions of local residents and tourists. Tourism Management Perspectives, 20, 38–46.

Zielinski, S., Jeong, Y., & Milanés, C. B. (2021). Factors that influence community-based tourism (CBT) in developing and developed countries. Tourism Geographies, 23(5–6), 1040–1072.