IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i24p16659-d1296116.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Multiple Geospatial Approach for Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Potentiality Mapping in Iran

Author

Listed:
  • Bakhtiar Feizizadeh

    (Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran)

  • Saeed Fathi

    (Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran)

  • Zahra Ghasmeizad Gonbad

    (Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran)

  • Mohmad Ghasmei

    (Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran)

  • Mohsen Makki

    (Institute of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

Intangible cultural heritage has recently emerged as an important sector of sustainable tourism development programs. In this regard, the main objective of this study was to map and examine the capability of different cities in Iran for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism. For the methodological perspective, we employed an integrated geographical information system (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) as efficient geospatial approaches for intangible tourism potentiality assessment. Regarding this goal, we concluded that Iranian pastoral nomads have a number of unique characteristics that are suitable to international tourists from a geographical, social, cultural, and artistic perspective. From the methodological framework, we employed an integrated geographical information system and multiple geospatial approaches for analyzing the ICH features and intangible tourism potentiality assessment. The methodological framework includes several major steps, including (a) the selection of the criteria and preparation of a GIS dataset, as well as standardization; (b) criteria weighting and sensitivity analysis; and finally, (c) criteria aggregation and production of the final ICH maps. The results of this study indicated that there is a very high capability of intangible and cultural tourism and heritage in different parts of the country, which are variable based on the local customs, traditions, events, and cultural characteristics. As the results indicated, the highest level of the ICH potentiality was found in Urmia, Khoy, Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz, Isfahan, Dezful, and Kashan. These cities are ranked based on the overall capability and contribution of the national intangible tourism potentiality assessment. The results of this study indicated that Iran has indeed remarkable ICH capabilities that can be used as the base of efficient sustainable development programs. However, due to international sanctions and political issues, developing a sustainable tourism program has already faced critical challenges. Based on the results, we concluded that the information obtained from this study leads local stakeholders, decision-makers, and authorities to identify the potentiality of each area and take into account developing tourism plans. In addition, the obtained information will also support readers, international travelers and tourism agencies to understand the potentiality of each area, as well as the suitability of different areas for intended travel objects, and to develop tourism programs and plans.

Suggested Citation

  • Bakhtiar Feizizadeh & Saeed Fathi & Zahra Ghasmeizad Gonbad & Mohmad Ghasmei & Mohsen Makki, 2023. "A Multiple Geospatial Approach for Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Potentiality Mapping in Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-30, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:24:p:16659-:d:1296116
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/24/16659/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/24/16659/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Saaty, Thomas L., 1990. "How to make a decision: The analytic hierarchy process," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 9-26, September.
    2. Thomas L. Saaty & Luis G. Vargas, 2013. "Decision Making with the Analytic Network Process," International Series in Operations Research and Management Science, Springer, edition 2, number 978-1-4614-7279-7, March.
    3. Elena - Manuela Istoc, 2012. "Urban cultural tourism and sustainable development," International Journal for Responsible Tourism, Fundatia Amfiteatru, vol. 1(1), pages 38-57, October.
    4. Hossein Mousazadeh & Amir Ghorbani & Hossein Azadi & Farahnaz Akbarzadeh Almani & Ali Zangiabadi & Kai Zhu & Lóránt Dénes Dávid, 2023. "Developing Sustainable Behaviors for Underground Heritage Tourism Management: The Case of Persian Qanats, a UNESCO World Heritage Property," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Qihang Qiu & Yifan Zuo & Mu Zhang, 2022. "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Tourism: Research Review and Investigation of Future Agenda," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nur Syabeera Begum Nasir Ahmad & Firuza Begham Mustafa & Safiah Yusmah Muhammad Yusoff, 2024. "Spatial prediction of soil erosion risk using knowledge-driven method in Malaysia’s Steepland Agriculture Forested Valley," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(6), pages 15333-15359, June.
    2. Alharasees, Omar & Kale, Utku, 2024. "Aviation Operators’ Total Loads Analysis by Multi-Criteria Decision-Making," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    3. Michael Robert Doyle, 2017. "‘Resources to Needs’: A Paradigm for Addressing the Potentiality of the Urban Volume," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 2(1), pages 6-18.
    4. Flavio Martins & Maria Fatima Almeida & Rodrigo Calili & Agatha Oliveira, 2020. "Design Thinking Applied to Smart Home Projects: A User-Centric and Sustainable Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-27, December.
    5. Pathiraja, Erandathie & Griffith, Garry & Farquharson, Robert & Faggia, Rob, 2019. "The Cost of Climate Change to Agricultural Industries: Coconuts in Sri Lanka," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 10(05), December.
    6. V. Srinivasan & G. Shainesh & Anand K. Sharma, 2015. "An approach to prioritize customer-based, cost-effective service enhancements," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(14), pages 747-762, October.
    7. Patricija Bajec & Danijela Tuljak-Suban, 2019. "An Integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process—Slack Based Measure-Data Envelopment Analysis Model for Evaluating the Efficiency of Logistics Service Providers Considering Undesirable Performance Criteria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, April.
    8. Xinxin Liu & Xiaosheng Wang & Haiying Guo & Xiaojie An, 2021. "Benefit Allocation in Shared Water-Saving Management Contract Projects Based on Modified Expected Shapley Value," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(1), pages 39-62, January.
    9. Sushil, 2019. "Efficient interpretive ranking process incorporating implicit and transitive dominance relationships," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 283(1), pages 1489-1516, December.
    10. Moumita Palchaudhuri & Sujata Biswas, 2016. "Application of AHP with GIS in drought risk assessment for Puruliya district, India," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 84(3), pages 1905-1920, December.
    11. Tommaso Ortalli & Andrea Di Martino & Michela Longo & Dario Zaninelli, 2024. "Make-or-Buy Policy Decision in Maintenance Planning for Mobility: A Multi-Criteria Approach," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-18, May.
    12. D. K. Choudhury, 2019. "Standard Critical Path and Selection of Most Economic and Quality Contractors for Construction of Thermal Power Plant: A Case Study in NTPC," Metamorphosis: A Journal of Management Research, , vol. 18(2), pages 103-118, December.
    13. Choudhary, Devendra & Shankar, Ravi, 2012. "An STEEP-fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS framework for evaluation and selection of thermal power plant location: A case study from India," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 510-521.
    14. Madjid Tavana & Mariya Sodenkamp & Leena Suhl, 2010. "A soft multi-criteria decision analysis model with application to the European Union enlargement," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 393-421, December.
    15. Levary, Reuven R. & Wan, Ke, 1999. "An analytic hierarchy process based simulation model for entry mode decision regarding foreign direct investment," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 661-677, December.
    16. Lilian. O. Iheukwumere-Esotu & Akilu Yunusa-Kaltungo, 2021. "Knowledge Criticality Assessment and Codification Framework for Major Maintenance Activities: A Case Study of Cement Rotary Kiln Plant," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-21, April.
    17. Xueying Yu & Zhiyuan Sun & Dongshi Sun & Rui He, 2025. "Sustainable development assessment of household e-waste reverse supply chains from an environmental ethic perspective," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    18. Alpana Agarwal & Divina Raghav, 2023. "Analysing Determinants of Employee Performance Based on Reverse Mentoring and Employer Branding Using Analytic Hierarchical Process," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 48(3), pages 343-358, August.
    19. María Pilar de la Cruz López & Juan José Cartelle Barros & Alfredo del Caño Gochi & Manuel Lara Coira, 2021. "New Approach for Managing Sustainability in Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-27, June.
    20. Sadiq Ullah & Mudassar Iqbal & Muhammad Waseem & Adnan Abbas & Muhammad Masood & Ghulam Nabi & Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq & Muhammad Sadam, 2024. "Potential Sites for Rainwater Harvesting Focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals Using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-23, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:24:p:16659-:d:1296116. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.