Journal of Urban Studies on Space and Place

Multidimensional evaluation of Iran's tourism destinations (Casestudy: selected tourism cities)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Zahed Shafiei

Associate Professor, Department of Museum and Tourism, Faculty of Research Excellence in Art and Entrepreneurship, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jspr.2025.2050142.1100
Abstract
The role of destination management in addressing contemporary tourism challenges, plays a key role in solving the issues that tourism faces in the contemporary era. Tourist destinations are confronted with diverse and complex challenges in management and development, during which they must address a range of needs, perceptions, and expectations of tourists. Essentially, the sustainable competitiveness of destinations is one of the fundamental issues of tourist destinations, and achieving this goal requires the design of comprehensive frameworks for continuous assessment and monitoring, ultimately enhancing the competitiveness of these destinations. The proposed framework and model in this article provide a basis for the continuous evaluation and positioning of cities across the country. This model allows for the position and performance of a city in each of the criteria, indicators, and sub-indicators of the model to be compared with other cities in the country as well as with the city's performance over different time periods. The output of this model offers a reliable basis for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a destination and facilitates self-regulation and self-improvement within the destination management organization. In this research, the factors influencing the formation of tourist perceptions in eleven selected tourist cities—Sari, Kerman, Shiraz, Hamadan, Yazd, Mashhad, Tabriz, Tehran, Ardabil, Khorramabad, and Kermanshah—each possessing diverse and distinct historical, cultural, natural, and other potential features, were identified using quantitative research methods and compared through a comparative method. To measure satisfaction and evaluate the perceptions and expectations of tourists regarding the selected cities, a sample of 820 tourists was studied using a convenience sampling method. Utilizing taxonomic analysis methods, the prioritization and ranking of cities in each of the key parameters revealed significant differences between the cities. 

Keywords

Tourist City
Assessment and Ranking of Urban Tourist Destinations
Urban Tourism
Demand-Oriented Tourism Approach

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