Developing A Framework for Increasing the Foreign Tourists’ Tendency for Traveling to Iran with an Emphasis on Soft Power
Subject Areas :
Shadi Mahmoudi darani
1
,
Mohammad Mehdi Rahimian Asl
2
*
,
Mohammad Hasan Maleki
3
,
Majid Nili Ahmadabadi
4
1 - M.A Industrial Management, Qom University, Qom, Iran
2 - M.A Industrial Management, Institute for Management and Planning Studies, Tehran,
3 - Associate Professor, Faculty of Management & Economics, Qom University, Qom, Iran.
4 - Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management & Economics, Qom University, Qom, Iran.
Keywords: Tourism, Tourists Tendency, Soft Power, CIA, DEMATEL,
Abstract :
Developed within the past decades as a key concept in international and power relations, soft power emphasizes diplomacy, culture, art, and propaganda instead of hard and coercive aspects of power. As soft power affects the international prestige and credit of countries, this applied exploratory study sought to elaborate on the role of soft power and its componential elements in attracting foreign tourists. The theoretical population of the study comprised fifteen experts in soft power and tourism who were selected via convenience sampling. To conduct the study, twenty-seven factors were identified by reviewing the related literature on tourism and soft power. The factors were then screened via the Binomial test, out of which seventeen factors were excluded due to their over 5% significance coefficient. The remaining ten factors were then analyzed using the cross-impact analysis (CIA) technique. The results of the study indicated that successful organization of political, artistic, scientific, sports, and literary events at the international level, the presence of foreign companies in the business environment of Iran, cyberspace and social networks, and improving tolerance among influential reference groups in society contributed the most to attracting tourists to Iran. The study was also replicated using the DEMATEL method, producing very similar results compared to the previous test, and the same four factors were identified as the most influential factors in attracting foreign tourists. It should be noted that the DEMATEL method and cross-impact analysis are based on a critical realism approach, considering the fact that they both enjoy structural analysis.
تقوایی، مسعود؛ پرهیز، فریاد. (1392). «نقش امنیت گردشگران در جذب گردشگران خارجی به ایران». پژوهش نامه نظم و امنیت انتظامی، سال ششم، شماره ۳، صص ۹۵ - ۱۱۸.
جعفری، علی اکبر؛ قربی، سید محمدجواد. (1395). «مؤلفه‌های منابع سیاسی قدرت نرم در جمهوری اسلامی ایران در افق سند چشم انداز ۱۴۰۴». مجله پژوهش‌های سیاست اسلامی، شماره ۹.
سیدعلی پور، سید خلیل؛ صدر، سیده زهرا. (1398). «نقش فضاهای مجازی در آشنایی و تصویر ذهنی گردشگران خارجی در سفر به ایران». نشریه برنامه ریزی و توسعه گردشگری، شماره ۳۱، صص ۱۹۷ -۲۱۷.
سیف، الله مراد؛ افتخاری، اصغر؛ عزتی، مرتضی؛ رمضانی، محمدتقی. (1392). «مفهوم شناسی قدرت نرم اقتصادی: توسعه نظریه قدرت نرم متعارف در حوزه اقتصاد». فصلنامه مطالعات راهبردی بسیج، شماره ۵۸.
عابدی محبوبه، دوستی مرتضی. (1400). «شناسایی کارکردهای سیاسی دیپلماسی‌عمومی و قدرت‌نرم در ورزش و گردشگری ایران». تحلیل‌های جامعه شناختی و مدیریتی در ورزش، شماره 8، صص۶۱-۴۱
قربی، سید محمدجواد؛ حیدری، منصور. (1397). «مؤلفه‌های قدرت نرم ایران در سند مؤلفه‌های هویت ملی ایرانیان (مطالعه ارزش‌های فرهنگی)». دوفصلنامه مطالعات قدرت نرم، شماره ۱۵، صص ۴۶ -۶۴ .
منصوری موید، فرشته؛ یاوری گهر، فاطمه. (1397). «تأثیر امنیت اجتماعی بر تصویر ذهنی گردشگران خارجی از ایران: بررسی نقش تجربه ، ارزش‌ها و نگرش ها. فصلنامه علوم مدیریت ایران، شماره ۵۰، صص ۱۳۴ -۱۵۸.
وزین، نرگس؛ مختاری هشی، حسین؛ ستایش منش، مهدی (1397). بررسی تأثیر توسعه گردشگری بر تقویت قدرت ملی ایران». پژوهش‌های جغرافیای سیاسی، سال سوم، شماره 12.
Abodohoui, A., & Su, Z. (2020). Influence of Chinese managerial soft power on African skills development. International Business Review, 29(5), 101730.
AlKhalifa, H. K., & Farello, A. (2021). The soft power of Arab women’s football: changing perceptions and building legitimacy through social media. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 13(2), 241-257.
Boylu, Y. (2021). A Study on the Use of Tourism as a Soft Power Instrument in International Relations. Journal of Tourismology, 7(1), 73-99.
Braga, I. F., Ferreira, F. A., Ferreira, J. J., Correia, R. J., Pereira, L. F., & Falcão, P. F. (2021). A DEMATEL analysis of smart city determinants. Technology in Society, 66, 101687.
Cao, Q. (2011). The language of soft power: mediating socio-political meanings in the Chinese media. Critical Arts: South-North Cultural and Media Studies, 25(1), 7-24.
Castro, A. S. (2018). The 2018 FIFA World Cup: The gains and constraints of Russia’s soft power of attraction through football and sports. Public Diplomacy of Rising and Regional Powers, 3(3), 17-37.
Farzanegan, M. R., Gholipour, H. F., Feizi, M., Nunkoo, R., & Andargoli, A. E. (2021). International tourism and outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19): A cross-country analysis. Journal of Travel Research, 60(3), 687-692.
Feenberg, A. (2012). Questioning technology. Routledge.
Gallarotti, G. M. (2011). Soft power: what it is, why it’s important, and the conditions for its effective use. Journal of Political Power, 4(1), 25-47.
Gallarotti, G. M., Filali, A., & Yahia, I. (2013). The soft power of Saudi Arabia. International Studies.
Gallego, I., & Font, X. (2021). Changes in air passenger demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis: Using Big Data to inform tourism policy. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(9), 1470-1489.
Gil, J. (2008). The Promises and Perils of Language and Culture Promotion in International Politics.
Godet, M. (2008). strategic foresight. france-paris: liposer working paper.
Gozgor, G., Demir, E., & Bilgin, M. H. (2017). The effects of the military in politics on the inbound tourism: Evidence from Turkey. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(8), 885-893.
Hashimoto, K. (2018). Introduction: Why language matters in soft power. In Japanese language and soft power in Asia (pp. 1-12). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
Ivanov, S., Gavrilina, M., Webster, C., & Ralko, V. (2017). Impacts of political instability on the tourism industry in Ukraine. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 9(1), 100-127.
Jones, W. J., & Theerawong, P. (2021). Muay Thai Diplomacy: Thailand’s Soft Power Through Public Diplomacy. Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences, 11(1), 99-124.
Lepp, A., & Gibson, H. (2008). Sensation seeking and tourism: Tourist role, perception of risk and destination choice. Tourism Management, 29(4), 740-750.
Liang, W. (2012). China's Soft Power in Africa: Is Economic Power Sufficient?. Asian Perspective, 667-692.
Lo, S. S. L. (2011). The Politics of Soft Power in Sino-Canadian Relations: Stephen Harper’s Visit to China and the Neglected Hong Kong Factor. The China Challenge: Sino-Canadian Relations in the 21st Century, 1, 66.
Lo, T. Y. J., & Pan, S. (2021). The internationalization of China’s higher education: soft power with ‘Chinese characteristics’. Comparative Education, 57(2), 227-246.
Mavrodieva, A. V., Rachman, O. K., Harahap, V. B., & Shaw, R. (2019). Role of social media as a soft power tool in raising public awareness and engagement in addressing climate change. Climate, 7(10), 122.
Murshed, S. M. (2019). The Liberal Peace: Challenges to Development, Democracy, and Soft Power. In The Palgrave Handbook of Global Approaches to Peace (pp. 109-127). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Narayanswamy, R. (2012). Spirituality is India's soft power.
Neto, A. R., de Sousa-Filho, J. M., & Lima, A. C. (2021). Internationalization of culture and soft power. European Business Review.
Nye Jr, J. S. (2004). Soft power and American foreign policy. Political Science Quarterly, 119(2), 255-270.
Nye Jr, J. S. (2004). Soft power: The means to success in world politics. Public affairs.
Nye, J. (2013). What China and Russia don’t get about soft power. Foreign policy, 29(10).
Nye, J. S. (1990). Soft power. Foreign policy, (80), 153-171.
Nye, J. S. (2021). Soft power: the evolution of a concept. Journal of Political Power, 14(1), 196-208.
Ozturk, A. E. (2021). Islam and foreign policy: Turkey’s ambivalent religious soft power in the authoritarian turn. Religions, 12(1), 38.
Parmar, I., & Cox, M. (Eds.). (2010). Soft power and US foreign policy: theoretical, historical and contemporary perspectives. Routledge.
Potter, E. H. (2008). Branding Canada: Projecting Canada's soft power through public diplomacy. McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP.
Saberi, D., Paris, C. M., & Marochi, B. (2018). Soft power and place branding in the United Arab Emirates: Examples of the tourism and film industries. International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy, 4(1), 44-58.
Sharma, G. D., Thomas, A., & Paul, J. (2021). Reviving tourism industry post-COVID-19: A resilience-based framework. Tourism management perspectives, 37, 100786.
Sumrit, D., & Anuntavoranich, P. (2013). Using the DEMATEL method to analyze the causal relations on technological innovation capability evaluation factors in Thai technology-based firms. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies, 4(2), 81-103.
Tella, O. (2018). Boko Haram terrorism and counter-terrorism: The soft power context. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 53(6), 815-829.
Thussu, D. K. (2016). The soft power of popular cinema–the case of India. Journal of Political Power, 9(3), 415-429.
Tsvetkova, N., & Rushchin, D. (2021). Russia’s Public Diplomacy: From Soft Power to Strategic Communication. Journal of Political Marketing, 20(1), 50-59.
Ullah, C. S. (2015). China's Soft Power: Changing the World Perception. Naval Postgraduate School Monterey United States.
Wang, H., & Lu, Y. C. (2008). The conception of soft power and its policy implications: A comparative study of China and Taiwan. Journal of Contemporary China, 17(56), 425-447.
Wen, J., Wang, W., Kozak, M., Liu, X., & Hou, H. (2021). Many brains are better than one: the importance of interdisciplinary studies on COVID-19 in and beyond tourism. Tourism Recreation Research, 46(2), 310-313.
Yang, R. (2010). Soft power and higher education: An examination of China’s Confucius Institutes. Globalization, Societies and Education, 8(2), 235-245.
Yeh, S. S. (2021). Tourism recovery strategy against COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism Recreation Research, 46(2), 188-194.
Zhou, T. (2021). Soft Power and the Chinese Civilization. In China's Renaissance: Global Strategies in 21st Century (pp. 141-155). Springer, Singapore.
Zureik, E. (2018). Qatar’s humanitarian aid to Palestine. Third World Quarterly, 39(4), 786-798.