درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Cultural marketing is considered one of the most effective strategies for introducing and strengthening local identities in the context of globalization. Among various cultural elements, food holds a distinctive position as both a part of tangible culture and an element of intangible heritage. It can convey the values, narratives, and lifestyles of a region in an accessible and experiential way. This study examines the role of traditional culinary practices and local dish names in the cultural marketing of Guilan Province, Northern Iran. A mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative) was used. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 participants, including local chefs, cultural heritage experts, and organizers of culinary tourism tours. Thematic Content Analysis was applied to interpret the interviews. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-designed questionnaire was administered to 306 incoming tourists who had experienced local food in the province. Their responses were analyzed statistically. The findings indicate that Guilan's traditional foods reflect the region’s climate, history, language, rituals, and indigenous beliefs. Through the diversity of ingredients, unique cooking methods, and culturally rooted names, these foods have strong cultural appeal. Statistical analysis also revealed significant and positive relationships between tourists’ demographic, psychological, and motivational characteristics and their willingness to consume local foods and engage in culinary tourism Additionally, factors such as the diversity of dish names and preparation styles, the hospitality culture, health-related aspects of local food, and promotional activities were found to significantly influence demand and enhance the culinary tourism experience. Overall, the study emphasizes that the deliberate integration of food culture into tourism policies—especially by leveraging its symbolic and narrative dimensions—can strengthen destination branding and contribute to the sustainable economic and cultural development of local communities.

One of the emerging fields in tourism is family tourism, which has recently garnered the attention of researchers. Among the various topics explored in this field are the role of children in decision-making, their experiences related to tourism and travel, and the impact of tourism on their mental health and social adaptation. In this context, the present study aims to examine the relationship between family tourism and the social adaptation of children aged 6 to 10 in Tehran. This research follows a descriptive-analytical approach based on quantitative data. The statistical population consists of all children aged 6 to 10 in Tehran, with a sample size of 384, estimated using Cochran's formula. Sampling was conducted using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data was collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software, employing Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical tests, Pearson correlation tests, and both bivariate and multivariate regression analyses. The findings indicate a significant positive relationship between family tourism and children's social adaptation. Additionally, the study reveals that key components such as reducing aggressive and antisocial behaviors, improving physical well-being, enhancing general responsibility, and strengthening social performance exhibit the strongest correlations with the family tourism variable.

Pilgrimage denotes a profound spiritual journey that cultivates personal transformation, resilience, and psychological well-being. Previous studies have explored the psychological effects of pilgrimage. However, the specific mechanisms through which these spiritual experiences foster enduring happiness still remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate how spiritual well-being enhances the joy of pilgrimage through the lens of eudaimonic well-being, drawing on the self-determination theory (SDT) and the principles of eudaimonic psychology. The study argues that spiritual well-being acts as a fundamental resource, enabling pilgrims to navigate various challenges on their journey ( e.g. , physical hardship and introspection), achieve self-actualisation, and ultimately experience deep existential satisfaction. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to survey 152 Arbaeen pilgrims. The results indicated that spiritual well-being significantly influenced eudaimonic well-being, which in turn enhanced the joy derived from pilgrimage. The findings suggested that fulfilment associated with pilgrimage was not merely a fleeting emotional response but a deeply rooted psychological state arising from personal transformation, meaning-making, and spiritual elevation. This study contributes to the literature on religious tourism, positive psychology, and spirituality by highlighting the transformative power of pilgrimage as a pathway to human flourishing. It also provides both theoretical and practical frameworks for researchers, policymakers, and mental health practitioners seeking to understand and promote the psychological benefits of spiritual experiences.

Entrepreneurship serves as a pivotal solution to address the economic challenges faced by nations. Given the positive impacts of tourism activities in rural areas, experts recognize it as a cultural instrument for fostering entrepreneurship in villages. This study aims to develop a strategic entrepreneurship model for the rural tourism industry through a cultural lens. Employing a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative) with grounded theory, the research gathered quantitative data from a statistical population of 384 participants, while qualitative insights were derived from 20 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis utilized SPSS25 for structural exploration and AMOS for composite reliability (CR) assessment via structural equation modeling. Key findings identified causal factors (e.g., value creation in rural tourism, effective rural tourism promotion, risk-taking, self-efficacy, and innovation among villagers and farmers), contextual factors (e.g., cultural interactions, awareness of cultural heritage, cultural development, and cultural education), intervening factors (e.g., environmental-regional infrastructure, social dynamics, and motivational drivers), and strategic pillars (e.g., essential R&D, organizational support, and management planning). The implementation of these strategies yielded outcomes such as rural income diversification, enhanced competitiveness of small businesses, employment generation, and increased productivity and revenue growth. This study concludes that a culturally informed approach to rural tourism entrepreneurship offers a novel strategy for rural economic development, effectively diversifying income sources and fostering sustainable progress.

Due to technological advances and existence of limitations in modern life, there has been a demand for new ways of tourism. In this regard, the present study aimed to model the factors affecting smart governance for managing cultural heritage tourism destinations. This study was of an interpretive, applied, quantitative, field-library and survey type. The statistical population was all activists, experts, managers and employees of tourism organizations in East Azerbaijan province and according to the results of the GPower software and using the criterion-based purposive method, 166 people were selected as a sample. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that was obtained from the qualitative findings section of the study. In addition to the descriptive section, structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and all analyses were performed in SPSS version 23 and SmartPLS version 3.1.1 software at a significance level of 0.05. The research results showed that the research model has a good fit and that the need for development, the need for accountability, smart features, culture, specialized factors and lifestyle has a positive and significant effect, and economic factors, political factors and government factors have a negative and significant effect on the smart governance of cultural tourism destinations in East Azerbaijan province. Managers and officials should think about developing and promoting positive and driving factors and eliminating negative and inhibiting economic, political and governmental problems.

In recent decades, the tourism industry has emerged as one of the most significant catalysts for economic growth and social development worldwide. Given its rich cultural and natural endowments, Iran possesses the potential to become a premier destination for halal tourism. Halal tourism appeals not only to Muslim travelers but also to those seeking a healthy and ethically oriented lifestyle. This study aims to investigate the opportunities and challenges of developing halal tourism in the Makran region, employing an applied, descriptive, and analytical research design. Data were gathered through simple random sampling and analyzed using factor analysis. The findings reveal that the current framework for halal tourism in Makran lacks the requisite efficiency. Widening gaps in legal, economic, social, environmental, and institutional domains pose significant barriers. Key challenges include inadequate infrastructure, insufficient training of human resources, poor resource management, and a lack of coordination among relevant institutions. Moreover, water scarcity and non-compliance with environmental conservation principles further impede the progress of halal tourism in the region. This research proposes that sustainable development of halal tourism in Makran can be achieved by enhancing infrastructure, improving human resource training, increasing transparency and accountability, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. Such an approach would not only drive economic growth in the region but also facilitate greater cultural and social exchange. Ultimately, adopting innovative tourism models and leveraging the region’s unique assets could enhance the efficacy of tourism management.