https://gtp1.khu.ac.ir/ Geography and Tourism Planning en daily 1 Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://gtp1.khu.ac.ir/article_4144.html Today, with the advancement of communication and information technologies, we are witnessing a growing trend of smartization of various industries, including the tourism industry. Smartization is essentially a distinct step in the evolution of information and communication technology in tourism, whereby the supervisory and physical dimensions of tourism enter the digital field and a new level of intelligence is achieved in tourism systems. The purpose of this study is to analyze the development of smartization of the tourism industry in the metropolis of Mashhad.The research is fundamental in terms of purpose and exploratory in nature. To collect data, a semi-structured in-depth interview approach was considered, along with library studies. The statistical population of this research was experts, experts, and university professors. To identify the experts, a purposive sampling method was used, during which 12 experts were interviewed based on the adequacy of the data. In relation to smart tourism in the metropolis of Mashhad, it provided the necessary basis for classifying and analyzing information and compiling this article.The research findings indicate that the requirements for realizing smart tourism in the Mashhad metropolis in categories including smart life, smart governance, smart dynamics, smart people, smart economy, and smart environment have been organized to operationalize smart tourism. https://gtp1.khu.ac.ir/article_4145.html Pedestrian streets are urban spaces where people frequently engage in daily activities and walking. Accordingly, walking can be considered an environmental factor contributing to place attachment and behavioral loyalty in tourism-oriented walkability. Moreover, understanding perceptual contexts, values, and spatial norms can enhance tourists’ place attachment and behavioral loyalty toward pedestrianization in the pedestrian streets of Hamedan. This study aims to evaluate the effect of place attachment and behavioral loyalty on the walkability of tourists. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The research is applied in nature, and the theoretical foundations were compiled using library and documentary methods. The research method is descriptive and falls within the framework of analytical approaches. A one-stage cluster sampling method was used, and the questionnaires were distributed and completed through a field survey in the selected pedestrian street. The sample size was calculated to be 386 participants using the Cochran formula. The findings indicate that the correlation between the tourist advocacy index and tourism walkability is the highest (P = 0.84), while the correlation between the place identity index and tourism walkability is the lowest (P = 0.75). The results show that place attachment and behavioral loyalty explain 90% and 89% of the variance in the tourism walkability variable, respectively. Considering the effect sizes and coefficients of determination, these values are estimated to be strong. In other words, place attachment and behavioral loyalty in their various dimensions significantly explain the variance in tourism walkability as perceived by tourists in the pedestrian streets of Hamedan. https://gtp1.khu.ac.ir/article_4146.html The tourism industry is one of the important pillars of the global economy, which has generated the highest amount of financial income and entrepreneurship compared to other sectors of the global economy in the past decades. In addition to the economic benefits of tourism, the cultural, social, political, and security effects of tourism have caused most countries in the world to seek to benefit from and develop this industry in their countries. In the meantime, Iran, with its various cultural and natural attractions, has the potential to develop the tourism industry. Iran has the best position in region terms of tourism attractions and seeks to make a profit through tourism activities and attract foreign tourists, but the policies that have been implemented in this area have not been very successful in attracting foreign tourists so far. The purpose of this study is to identify the challenges of policymaking in attracting foreign tourists in Iran. The research method is based on a qualitative study and interviews with 22 experts in the field of tourism. The data collected were analyzed using the Grand Theory model, and finally, the most important policymaking challenges were identified after coding the raw data. The results showed that the most important policy challenges in the field of foreign tourism include financial and investment challenges, unbalanced approaches in attracting foreign tourists, infrastructure and transportation challenges, digital and technology challenges, foreign policy, weak management and planning, legal and regulatory challenges, security challenges, weak planning, and weak human resource training. https://gtp1.khu.ac.ir/article_4147.html Destination branding has emerged as one of the key components of tourism marketing in recent decades, playing a vital role in attracting both tourists and investors. Despite Iran's rich cultural, historical, and natural assets, its international image in the tourism sector faces numerous challenges, including geopolitical tensions, inefficient marketing strategies, and technological limitations. The purpose of this study is to review and synthesize the main challenges of Iran’s tourism branding system and to propose policy-oriented recommendations for enhancing the country’s international brand image. This study does not claim to empirically evaluate the actual performance of Iran’s tourism brand; rather, it proposes a conceptual policy framework and performance evaluation indicators for future assessment. This research adopts a structured narrative review methodology, synthesizing findings from 28 selected scholarly sources identified through the Web of Science database and relevant reference lists. Content analysis was employed to extract key insights related to destination branding, executive policies, and performance evaluation criteria. Additionally, supplementary information was obtained through the reference lists of the reviewed articles. Findings indicate that negative media coverage, lack of coordination between governmental and private sectors, and weak adoption of modern digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual/augmented reality, and big data analytics, have contributed to a fragmented and ineffective image of Iran as a tourism destination. Moreover, the absence of long-term, integrated strategies has exacerbated issues such as internal incoherence and limited stakeholder collaboration. Ultimately, this study concludes that transforming Iran’s tourism branding system requires a comprehensive and evidence-based approach. This includes the formulation of long-term strategies, the enhancement of digital infrastructure, and the establishment of continuous monitoring and evaluation systems. Such efforts are essential to projecting a positive, cohesive, and competitive image of Iran in the global tourism market and positioning the country as a resilient and sustainable destination. https://gtp1.khu.ac.ir/article_4148.html Roads and access routes are among the main factors in the development of tourism and ecotourism. The ease of access to tourist sites and the reception of visitors largely depend on the development of roads. The present study examines the interactive effects of two indices—slope (as a limiting factor) and roads (as a guiding factor)—in relation to tourism in the Patam section of the Kheyrud Forest in Nowshahr. Alongside field surveys regarding the patterns of tourist presence and the identification of viewpoints, the study investigates the importance and impacts of access routes. To conduct this research, field data were first collected using GPS to record the locations of routes. The spatial data were then optimized in ArcView software based on topographic maps, and new routes with suitable slopes were designed. Using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and slope analysis of the area, the slope map was classified into three categories, and road buffer zones at 100, 200, and 300 meters were analyzed. The slope and accessibility layers were evaluated and weighted by experts, and then overlaid to produce a final map showing the suitability of areas for ecotourism development. The results showed that most tourists were located and moved within the 100-meter buffer zone of the roads. With the design of a 2.8 km walking trail and its connection to existing roads, 42% of viewpoints also became accessible. The total length of routes increased from 17.3 to 25.5 km, and road density rose to 28.3 meters per hectare. Despite the steep slopes in the area, the creation of these routes enabled access. The tourism suitability map indicated that 55% of the Patam area falls into the “very good” and “good” categories of suitability, located within the 100-meter road buffer. This highlights the importance of roads and access routes and demonstrates that, with the presence of roads, slope is no longer a limiting factor for tourist visitation.