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      • Open Access Article

        1 - Tourists’ Motivations for Traveling to Isfahan: A Comparative Study Concerning Both Genders
        Mohammad 
        This study aims to identify and compare domestic tourists’ motives of travelling to Isfahan between men and women. The population of this research was domestic tourists who had traveled to Isfahan during April and May 2016, which among them a sample of 400 tourists was More
        This study aims to identify and compare domestic tourists’ motives of travelling to Isfahan between men and women. The population of this research was domestic tourists who had traveled to Isfahan during April and May 2016, which among them a sample of 400 tourists was randomly selected. The data was collected by a questionnaire consists of 40 questions. To analyze the data, exploratory factor analysis and independent t-test were used. The results revealed nine travel motives for domestic tourists; historical and cultural motives, visiting relatives and friends, shopping, accompanying family and friends, recreation and having fun, low-cost trip, city attractions, enjoying a safe travel, and work motivation. The results also showed that there was a significant difference between men and women in terms of historical and cultural motives, recreation and having fun, shopping, accompanying family and friends, domestic attractions, and enjoying a safe travel. The results also demonstrated that there was no significant difference between women and men in terms of enjoying a safe travel, visiting relatives and friends, and work motivation. Manuscript profile
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        2 - The effect of tourists’ self-concept on satisfaction and their intention to recommend the tourist destination )Case study: Mashhad, Chalidarreh Dam(
         
        Individual self-concept explains and predicts different facets of consumer behavior. This study examined the effects of tourist self-concept on their intention to recommend destination, travel satisfaction and travel experience. The population of this study includes all More
        Individual self-concept explains and predicts different facets of consumer behavior. This study examined the effects of tourist self-concept on their intention to recommend destination, travel satisfaction and travel experience. The population of this study includes all tourists who were visiting Chalidarreh dam, among them 308 was selected randomly as the research sample. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire and were analyzed by structural equation modeling and LISREL software. The results show, the perception of travel experience, facilitates the relationship between ideal self-concept and travel satisfaction of tourists. Also the travel satisfaction, facilitates the relationship between perceived experience of travel and the intention to recommend tourist destination. The results of this study can improve the perception of managers which will provide a better understanding of tourist behavior and policy making in the field of tourism marketing. Manuscript profile
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        3 - The Effect of Young Children on Impulsive Decisions of Families in Fun Traveling
        Mohesn Akbari Esmaeel  Ramezanpour Parmis  Moaf
        An important dimension of consumer behavior is making impulsive decisions. These decisions are shaped by a quick decision process, resulting from excitement and emotion. Impulsive traveling is one of the immediate behaviors in which a tourist travels to somewhere for wh More
        An important dimension of consumer behavior is making impulsive decisions. These decisions are shaped by a quick decision process, resulting from excitement and emotion. Impulsive traveling is one of the immediate behaviors in which a tourist travels to somewhere for which he or she has not carefully planned. There are many reasons behind this kind of behavior in tourism, including going to see somewhere for fun; pressures from friends, peers and family members; undeclared internal motivations; or even encouragement from destinations with different marketing tools. This paper examined the impact of children’s participation, in family decision-making, on the emotions of the decision maker in the family and the impulsive travel plans they made. The conceptual model is based on literature and research background, which showed relationship between variables (youth insistence, decision makers’ emotions and intention to travel impulsively). For sampling and data collection, a questionnaire was distributed among 384 families that had traveled impulsively to different locations of the province of Guilan. This is an applied study, and data collection followed descriptive-correlation based on structural equation modeling. SPSS 19 was used to analyze the descriptive data. For statistical inference, we used structural equation modeling (SEM) based on partial least squares (PLS) and Smart PLS2 software. Results showed that children’s participation in decisions affects impulsive family planning to travel. In addition, the mediating role of emotions was also confirmed showing that children that take part in family decision-making, not only increased the impulsive traveling of family members but also affected their emotions. Manuscript profile
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        4 - The Mediating Role of Travel Motivation and Responsible Behavior with the Relationship between Environmental Attitude and the Sustainable Development of Ecotourism Case: Cities of Mahdishar and Semnan
        samaneh parsa سید حسن کابلی sakineh jafari
        This study examined the relationship between environmental attitude and sustainable development of ecotourism, and the mediating role of travel motivation and environmentally responsible behavior of ecotourists in Mahdishahr and Semnan. The population included all ecoto More
        This study examined the relationship between environmental attitude and sustainable development of ecotourism, and the mediating role of travel motivation and environmentally responsible behavior of ecotourists in Mahdishahr and Semnan. The population included all ecotourists in Mahdishar and Semnan. The participants were 250 (122 males and 128 females) and were selected via a Convenience Sampling method. All participants completed the scales of environmental attitude, motivation, environmentally responsible behavior and sustainable development of ecotourism. Using LISREL, the data were analyzed by the path analysis model. The results showed that environmental attitude did not have a direct influence on the sustainable development of ecotourism. Environmental attitude had a direct, positive and significant influence on travel motivation and environmentally responsible behavior. Environmental attitude had an indirect, positive and significant impact on sustainable development of ecotourism with the mediating role of travel motivation and environmentally responsible behavior. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        5 - A Model for Investigating the Effect of Online Word-of-Mouth Communications on Travel Intention for Tourism Destination
        Mohammad ghaffari  
        Given the advancements in information and communication technologies, many tourists prefer to collect tourism destination information through electronic word-of-mouth communications. This paper aimed to present a model for investigating the effect of online word-of-mout More
        Given the advancements in information and communication technologies, many tourists prefer to collect tourism destination information through electronic word-of-mouth communications. This paper aimed to present a model for investigating the effect of online word-of-mouth communications on travel intention. The statistical population of this study included inbound tourists who traveled to Tehran in September 2016. A sample of 200 tourists was selected conveniently. To collect data, a researcher-developed questionnaire (including 24 questions) was used. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were examined and confirmed. Findings showed that online word-of-mouth communications affected tourism destination image and that tourism destination image significantly affected both the trust in tourism destination and the intention to travel. The trust in tourism destination significantly affected the travel intention for the destination. Also, online word-of-mouth communications had significant effects on the trust in tourism destination and the travel intention directly and indirectly. Manuscript profile
      • Open Access Article

        6 - Investigating the Effect of Smart Tourism Technologies’ Select Factors on the Satisfaction of Using Technology in Travel: A Case Study of Yazd Visitors
        Hashem Reisi amirreza konjkav monfared elahe hosseini
        Emerged out of recent advances and the development of information technology, smart tourism provides modern modes of communication, novel ways of collecting information, and new opportunities for value creation and management. Therefore, this study sought to investigate More
        Emerged out of recent advances and the development of information technology, smart tourism provides modern modes of communication, novel ways of collecting information, and new opportunities for value creation and management. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the influence of the technologies used in smart tourism on tourists’ satisfaction with using technology in their travels. The study's statistical population comprised domestic tourists who visited Yazd city in Iran, out of whom 240 individuals were selected via convenient sampling. The required data were collected by administering the 16-item questionnaire proposed by Yoo et al. (2017) and Huang et al. (2017). Moreover, the questionnaire’s technical characteristics were examined in terms of validity (structure and content) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha) to secure the accuracy of the research results. The research hypotheses were also tested based on the partial least squares method using the structural equation modeling and Smart PLS 3 software. The study’s results indicated that all three hypotheses were confirmed, as their t-statistic value was over 1.96. Furthermore, it was found that the highest impact factor belonged to informing aspect of smart tourism technologies, suggesting that offering information, interaction, and accessibility had a significant positive effect on the satisfaction of using technology in travel. It can therefore be argued that satisfaction with the use of technology in travel generates profits for tourism companies, leading to the loyalty of tourists to a particular destination. Manuscript profile
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        7 - Estimation of the Economic Value of Mogarmon Tourist Area Using the Contingent aluation and Individual Travel Costs Approaches
        iman danaeifar mehrdad mehdizadeh
        Due the importance to implement tourism development projects in different recreational areas, it is necessary to assess the benefits of such projects. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the economic value of Mogarmon tourist area in Lendeh town using condi More
        Due the importance to implement tourism development projects in different recreational areas, it is necessary to assess the benefits of such projects. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the economic value of Mogarmon tourist area in Lendeh town using conditional economic valuation and individual travel cost approaches. To this end, 400 questionnaires were completed by visitors of the Mogarmon recreational area during summer and autumn seasons in 2019. The results of the Contingent valuation method indicated that the average willingness to pay for each person to visit this location was 6752 Rials and the recreational value for each family was 288445/44 Rials per year. Moreover, the results of the travel cost method for individual travel also suggested that the recreational value of this location was estimated equal to 1062936000 Rials. Comparing these two methods showed that the recreational value of this recreational area was overestimated in the individual travel costs method, because from the of visitors' viewpoint, the use of this recreational location is considered as a public net commodity and the individuals don't exactly express their willingness to pay so that the cost of each household for recreation in this location is far higher than the stated inclination. Manuscript profile
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        8 - Developing a Dynamic Model for Predicting Responsible Travel Intentions Based on the Complexities of Maslow's Needs Pyramid
        mahnaz Doosti-Irani Hamed Fallah Tafti
        This applied qualitative study sought to classify the factors involved in responsible travel intentions based on Maslow's needs pyramid and elaborate on the causal relationships between the factors so that it can offer a more effective model for marketing sustainable to More
        This applied qualitative study sought to classify the factors involved in responsible travel intentions based on Maslow's needs pyramid and elaborate on the causal relationships between the factors so that it can offer a more effective model for marketing sustainable tourism. To this end, the factors were identified and categorized using the content analysis of the data collected via reviewing the related literature and conducting interviews with apropos experts. Then, systemic thinking was used qualitatively (validated through the experts’ opinions) to develop the interpretive model of causal relations. According to the study’s findings, 23 factors were classified into five categories based on Maslow's needs pyramid as follows: Physiological needs (perceived quality, price, shopping habits, and perceived behavioral control), safety (protection and beliefs concerning the health in responsible travels), love/attachment (environmental concerns, sense of responsibility, perceived effectiveness, environmental awareness, environmental value, spatial belonging, and emotional dependence on residents), respect (social norms, identity representation, satisfaction, advertising, social media content, attitude regarding the responsible travel, beliefs concerning the luxurious nature of responsible travel, and the image of responsible travel), and self-actualization (self-transcendence and personal norms). Moreover, the proposed conceptual model indicated the mutual influence of the factors and categories on each other. Therefore, marketers are required to plan their intended interventions after prioritizing the target group’s responsible needs and selecting the category of needs using systemic thinking. Manuscript profile
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        9 - Tourism, Perceived Travel limitations, Seligman's Helplessness Theory, Disabled People
        Maedeh Hashemi Zahra Nadalipour
        While leisure limitations have long been the subject of research, there has recently been a growing trend in academic studies that examine such limitations in terms of tourism and disability. However, as those studies are merely limited to the identification and elabora More
        While leisure limitations have long been the subject of research, there has recently been a growing trend in academic studies that examine such limitations in terms of tourism and disability. However, as those studies are merely limited to the identification and elaboration of the barriers and limitations., the current study sought to investigate the influence of such limitations on the target population. Therefore, based on the study conducted by Lee et al. (2012), the current study set out to investigate the effect of perceived travel limitations on the tourism tendency of physically disabled individuals living in Tehran, Iran, using Seligman's Helplessness Theory. The required data for this applied, descriptive-analytical correlational study was collected through a survey using a researcher-developed questionnaire. The statistical population of the study comprised all physically disabled people, those suffering from spinal cord injury, and war-disabled individuals living in Tehran, out of whom 383 people were selected as the sample size using the convenience sampling method. The findings of the study indicated that tourism limitations perceived by the disabled residents of Tehran did not significantly affect their tourism tendencies. On the other hand, the perceived tourism limitations exerted a positive influence on their learned helplessness. Finally, the learned helplessness of people with disabilities negatively affected their intention to travel. The results of the present study can be used by relevant institutions such as Tehran's municipality, those responsible for urban management, and institutions in charge of the affairs of disabled people. Manuscript profile
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        10 - Designing a Strategic Model of the Antecedents of Customer’s Experience in the Tourism Industry
        soghra taghipour Samad Aali Alireza  Bafandeh Zendeh Hakimeh  Niki
        This study sought to identify the antecedents of customers’ experience in the tourism industry using a mixed-method approach. To this end, first, 246 domestic and foreign relevant articles published from 2010 to 2020 were collected in the qualitative phase using the met More
        This study sought to identify the antecedents of customers’ experience in the tourism industry using a mixed-method approach. To this end, first, 246 domestic and foreign relevant articles published from 2010 to 2020 were collected in the qualitative phase using the meta-synthesis method, out of which 52 articles were selected and analyzed via the content analysis method. Then, a questionnaire was developed based on the results of the content analysis conducted on the articles mentioned, applying the opinions of 10 experts and specialists in marketing and tourism. The researcher-developed questionnaire was then administered to 440 Iranian tourists who had traveled to Turkey, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, and UAE over the last five years (2016-2021). On the other hand, each construct of the proposed model was examined in terms of mono-dimensionality through a separate measurement model using Kline's method (2005) to ensure that the factor loading of the indicators and the correlation coefficient between factors do not exceed 0.5 and 0.85, respectively. Then, the reliability and validity of the constructs together with the construct validity, convergent validity, and divergent validity were measured, and Cronbach's alpha, Composite Reliability (CR), and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) were calculated. Finally, the model concerning the tourist experience antecedents was developed. According to the results of the study, a model comprising of four main components, including tourist management, tourism destinations’ management, tourism resource management, and tourism product management were developed based on the antecedents of the tourist experience using a mixed method approach (which is one of the innovations of the study). Manuscript profile
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        11 - Developing a Qualitative Model for Integrated Marketing Communication in Travel Agencies
        ali mirtaheri abdollah  Naami Alireza Rousta
        In today's competitive environment, companies have to use a variety of new communication methods to maintain profitable relationships with their customers. Therefore, this cross-sectional study which was based on the principles of interpretivism (social constructivism), More
        In today's competitive environment, companies have to use a variety of new communication methods to maintain profitable relationships with their customers. Therefore, this cross-sectional study which was based on the principles of interpretivism (social constructivism), sought to develop a paradigm model for integrated marketing communication in travel agencies and tourism offices using grounded theory. The study period lasted from the beginning of 2020 to June 2020 and used interviews for collecting the required data. To this end, 12 detailed non-structured interviews were conducted on scientific-practical experts, including job experts in the tourism industry and university professors using the judgmental method. The collected data were then divided into fifty-two primary codes, fifteen sub-categories, and six core categories according to the open, axial, and selective coding using MAXQDA qualitative data analysis software. The study's results indicated that integrated marketing communications in travel agencies were derived from integrated analysis (causal conditions) and were influenced by contextual requirements (technical-individual), being able to produce the required outputs (purchasing, repurchasing, and creating the integrated marketing communications' recommended value in the travel and tourism industry) for realizing the central phenomenon if suitable strategies are adopted (aligning hardware and software tools in terms of optimal use of advertisement's mixed communication tools). Moreover, the intervening factors were determined by identifying environmental conditions-related categories using the textual data collected from the interviewees. Finally, the selected coding was performed according to the definition of the five assumptions obtained. Manuscript profile
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        12 - Freedom, authenticity, intimacy and charm: Representation of travel influencers’ photos in Instagram
        hoda davari hamed bakhshi
        Created on a social network basis, Instagram pages effectively contribute to shaping our mental perception regarding various topics. On the other hand, those Instagram pages dedicated to travel have highly been welcomed by viewers in recent years. Actually, the represen More
        Created on a social network basis, Instagram pages effectively contribute to shaping our mental perception regarding various topics. On the other hand, those Instagram pages dedicated to travel have highly been welcomed by viewers in recent years. Actually, the representations made by the relevant influences concerning the travel process, travel destination, and travel meaning construct some explicit and implicit meanings. Therefore, this study sought to identify the semantic system governing the popular Instagram pages of travel influencers. The conceptual framework of the study is based on John Fisk's semiotic approach and his social reality codes, including social reality, representational reality, and ideological reality. Social reality codes address physical characteristics such as speech, environment, and clothing. Moreover, representational reality codes deal with the sender's creative power, including framing, colors, companionship and substitution, and characterization. Finally, ideological reality codes examine the concept that gives coherence to such categories. The findings of the study indicated that naturalism, intimacy, liberation in social relations and individual lifestyle, availability and ease of travel, charm-seeking, desire for freedom, travel as a lifestyle, and responsible travel are the pivotal values represented by travel influencers at the level of ideological codes, representing such a special type of tourism that seeks changes in daily routines, acquisition of new experiences, the quest for authenticity, and returning to the true self. This travel style represents a conscious or non-conscious effort against the homogenization of the modern world and a kind of resistance against daily routines, rationalization, and social order. Manuscript profile